Sand and Blood
by BloodGoyle
Summary: Gaara, misunderstood and alone, is shunned and hated as a child. When one young girl has no choice but to depend on the boy who scarred her for life, they each learn to accpet the other. what will become of them when they are torn apart, can they ever a
1. Hari Tenoki

Sand and Blood

Chapter One

Hari Tenoki

_Sometimes it's too hard to see the truth...._

"Pass me the ball!!" A young girl laughed, surrounded by a crowd of her friends. They were playing, a group of them, in a sand-covered feild next to a playground. Everything was covered in sand, there was no grass to be found anywhere. The children were used to it, never have laying eyes upon a single blade of grass their entire lives, and continued playing.

The playground was completely abandoned, except for one child. He worse a loose-fitting scarf that hid the lower part of his face from the world, his pain-filled eyes outlines in black watching them unblinkingly as they played hapily. He sat on a swing, his hands grasping the chains on either side of him that held up the wooden seat, his feet dangling beneath him. He expected none of them to approach him, to even go near him. He had already chased them away. Merely by sitting at a swing they moved to go play ball, away from him.

His sad eyes continued to watch them, until one of the kids had kicked the ball too high. It was stuck on a ledge high above them, one of the many ledges in this village of sand. They stood below it, complaining and blaming each other for whose fault it was they could no longer play. Suddenly, the grains of sand near the ball came to life, gathering around it and lowering it towards them. The ball flowed into the young boy's hands who had been sitting at the swing. He held it out to them, gesturing for one of them to take it. Their eyes got big as they stared at him like he was death.

"It's him!!"

"It's Gaara!!"

"RUUN!!"

The children all yelled and screamed as they tried to escape. The boy looked crushed.

"Wait... please, don't run from me..." He stared at them with a horrified expression on his face. He reached a hand out to them, longing for someone to finally take it. They did not listen, but continued to sprint towards safety, calling him names as they did. He let them go, watching them vanish around a corner, their screams and yells and looks of terror becoming only a faded echo in his mind. They were always running from him... Why... Why...

Like an instict his right arm lifted and clutched his chest. Someone had once told him that the only medicine for the pain he felt so oftin in his heart was love... He wondered if he could ever find that medicine, or would it always be like this... He clutched his chest harder, trying to suppress the feeling. He left the playground, deciding it was too deppressing a place.

Walking the sandy streets he could feel the pain in his chest begin to rise once more, receiving only glares from people walking by, hushed whispers about him and avoidance. There was nothing he could do. He avoided making eye contact with any of them, but watched the ground as he walked. He kept on walking, turing down a few alleys until there was hardly anyone around. The only person he could see was a drunken bum, who winced at seeing him and backed away, glaring with bloodshot eyes. Gaara kept walking until he came to the spot he was looking for, the cliff at the edge of the village.

But someone had beat him to it. A young child with short, dark blue hair sat on the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling off. One wrong move and she could have fallen, dying on impact with the rocky ground far below where she sat. She was crying as she stared at the moon across the seemingly endless stretch of desert beneath her. Gaara hesitatly approached her, his sad eyes trying to determine whether or not she would run screaming, like everyone else. He turned to walk away, for she had not seen him yet. She continued to cry. He couldn't make himself leave.

Cautiously he approached her, until he was right beside her. He reached his hand out, about to put it on her shoulder, but stopped, and pulled back. She sensed him there and turned aorund, wiping the tears from her face. She looked at him, and for the first time Gaara did not sense any fear or resentment from another person. She sniffed, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

"What do you want?" She asked, her silver eyes staring into his sky blue ones. The initial shock of her not running away or screaming left him too confused to say anything. He simply watched the way her dark blue hair caught the moonlight and seemed to shine. Sniffing again, the little girl wiped her nose with her sleeve, watching him. "Aren't you that kid everyone hates?

"I..." Gaara said, unsure of how to respond. "You... Why are you crying?" He asked.

"I wasn't crying..." She lied, sniffing again, her eyes glossy from tears. She turned back to face the full moon. He did not know why, but he felt a sudden wave of sorrow for her. The way she stared at the moon, how she was all alone, like himself...

Knowing he was taking a big chance, Gaara hesitatly sat down next to her, his feet hanging off the edge of the cliff too. She did not stir. She did not get up and try to run. Gaara eased up a little, overflowed with joy that he may finally have a friend.

"...What's your name?" He asked softly, not wanting to scare her off.

"... Tenoki... You must be Gaara... Pleased to meet you..." She nodded her head towards him, a sitting-down bow. She was extremely polite for such a young girl.

"...I've heard your name before...Are you from the Hari clan? Hari Tenoki?" Gaara asked. The girl nodded. That explains why she was so polite. The Hari clan has a bloodlimit, which passes down a forbidden tecnique that only they can know and execute. They are all very formal, a very polite and calm family. He stared into her light gray eyes, a common trait in their clan, as was the dark blue hair. "So what are you doing out here all alone? Aren't your parents worried?" Gaara asked, speaking softly again. Tenoki shook her head.

"My older brother, Isei... He yelled at me... I love him so much... But he told me to go away... He said mean things to me... He was acting so weird, he has never, ever been mean to me before...." Tears swelled in her eyes again. "I've never seen him act that way before..." She mutterd to herself under her breath. Gaara watched her as she stared at the moon. "There's no howling tonight... on a full moon..." She whispered. "I'm worried..."

Suddenly a couple kunai were hurled out of the darkness, and at the backs of the two children. A veil of sand rose, blocking the attack, the blades of the kunai sticking into the sheild. It quickly fell back to the ground as Gaara turned around, to see a masked ninja standing behind them in fighting stance. More kunai were thrown, only to be negated by the sand once more. Gaara's eyes got wide as he stared at his attacker with a vengeance, his anger boiling at the man who dared attack his new friend. He dared to attack the one person who did not run the second she laid eyes upon him. Something inside him, he could not control...

The sand beneath the man's feet rose like a giant serpant, wrapping around his legs. The man yelled out in surprise, unable to move. The sand quickly covered his entire body, and as much as he struggled against it could not break free. Gaara yelled in anger, as an invisible pulse of rage shot through the air like a bolt of lightning. The sand tightend around the man's body. He screamed in agony seconds before his voice was cut off, smothered by sand down his throat, peircing his skin and cutting him deeper than knives. When it had settled, al that was left was a pile of bloody sand. The wind gently blew the sand away, spreading the red grains off the cliff where they swirled in the sky before scattering with the winds. Beneath the sand was his mangled corpse, barely recognizable and gushing red, his body slowly being revealed as the wind uncovered it.

Shaking, Gaara approached the fallen man, the man who he had killed... Tenoki watched, now on her feet. Gaara did not see her move, he was too preoccupied. She stood close to him, daring not to touch him in his current crazed state. She was frozen, her legs trembling as she watched him kneel beside the man's head and remove his mask. His mouth dropped open and he jumpped back, eyes fixed on the dead body.

"Yashamaru!!" He cried out. The man who had taken care of him, his own mother's brother, was dead. He killed him. Even worse, Yashamaru attacked him, not caring who was in the way, with a burning intention to kill... Did he secretly hate him? Did he want vengeance? Gaara could not grasp why he would so such a thing to him... When he trusted him...

The sands began to rise again, lifting from the ground all around Gaara and Tenoki. He could not control them. His anger was all he could think about, betrayal, murder, lies... He realized too late what was happening. Her scream brought him back to reality. Tenoki was on the ground curled up in a ball, bleeding from uncountable cuts and gashes in her body. He arms covered her face. The sand was out of control.

The second Gaara realozed what he was doing, the sands stopped in midair, hovering above the ground. They fell at once in a cloud of dust back to the earth, some settling on Tenoki. Gaara pulled her to her feet, but she refused to remove her hands from her face. He appolagized over and over, but she said nothing. _So this is what happens when they don't run..._ Gaara thought to himself, wishing now that she had ran away from him, like everyone else.

"It's ok...." She finally muttered. When she removed her hands, blood was streaming down her face and from her eyes that were just barely open. A trickle of crimson escaped a cut on her temple, dripping down the side of her face. The whites of her eyes were red and bloodshot, her silver eyes turned a pale metallic red.

With his arm around her shoulder, Gaara promised to take her home. They began walking down the dark streets, the only light to guide them was the dim glow of the light from the full moon. Once at the Hari clan's residence, Gaara stopped at the doorway as she walked inside. Before he could close the door a scream filled the air. It was Tenoki. Gaara stepped into the house, to see Tenoki standing in the middle of the entrance hall, surrounded in bodies. The floor was drenched in red from their blood as the crumpled corpses lay motionless. They were all the Hari clan, some humans identifyable by their dark blue hair, others wolves black as the night whose sharp fur coats shone of dark blue. But they were all dead. All except for one man who stood opposite Tenoki, grinning. He looked a lot like her, maybe in his teens. Tenoki's terrified expression seemed to amuse him.

"...So, looks like I missed one... How could I forget you, little Tenoki? This must have been Isei's doing..." His grin faded when he mention his brother's name. "Now, hold still and I promise I'll make it as painless as possible..."

"_Daisetsu_..." Tenoki whispered in a feeble voice. The boy took no notice. He pulled out a kunai from his bag, bringing his arm back and readying to throw it. With a smile back on his face it soared through the air, straight towards his siter's head. A wall of sand appeared before her, blocking the attack. Gaara walked into the room behind her. Daisetsu's smile emmediately vanished. "_Kuso..._" He whispered, backing away. "_I'll get you later..._" And with that he dissapeared quickly, his movements undetectable.

Tenoki was paralyzed. Her silvery red eyes followed the trail of blood from one family member to another. Everything to her was red, soaked from the blood in her eyes. They were wide and she was shaking uncontrolably, her hands clasped together under her chin. Gaara watched her as she cried silently, not moving an inch, her breath quivering. Her tears were blood red as her eyes closed on the last image she would ever see...


	2. Transformation

Sand and Blood

Chapter Two

Transformation

_The most important lesson i have learned in life...Die before you cry._

Tenoki sat on a swing in a lonely playground, the chains creaking as she slowly rocked back and forth. Her pale silver eyes stared into nothing on the ground in front of her. Her short dark blue hair blew gently in the breeze that pushed the sand across the ground noiselessly. A few scrapes on her face were still visible, cuts around her eyes that were sure to leave scars. She sat alone, making no noise and listening to the happy children next to the playground.

"Hey, girl, why ya over here all by yourself?" A boy approached her. Emmediately she tensed up, gasping slightly and trying to make herself smaller, maybe she could just dissapear. She did not respond.

"Hitoshi! There you are!" Other kids joined him, crowding Tenoki. She panicked, her breath getting short and scared. She did not make eye contact with any of them, but continued to stare into nothing.

"Hey, girl, why dont you say anything?" One boy crouched down in front of her to try and force his way into her line of sight. Still she stared straight through him, eyes glazed over, as if she did not even see him.

"What's wrong with her?"

"What a freak..." The kids muttered to each other. The boy who had tried to force her to look at him stood back up, and shoved her. Tenoki fell backwards off the swing, letting out a small cry of shock. She backed up, pushing herself along the sandy ground as the children all laughed. And still she looked at none of them, her eyes always focused on nothing. One boy kicked sand at her while she was on the ground. Tenoki shielded herself with her arms as she scrambled backwards to get away from them. Blood-red tears swelled up in her eyes as they continued to laugh.

"What's wrong? Cat gotcher tongue?" The girls giggled, hissing at her. Tenoki's bottom lip was quivering, her throat in knots and making only a soft, high-pitched squeak when she tried to speak. Still the kids did not leave her alone.

"........._Gaaraaaaa!!!_" She shreiked, her voice suddenly loud as a gunshot that rang through the air seconds after it was fired. The kids all froze, their laughter immediately cut off at hearing the name of the monster. The winds picked up, spewing sand as high as a grown man. Appearing out of nowhere, a shadow formed in the sands. The children ran away blindly, squinting to see through the sand as they scattered like drunken teenagers at a busted party.

Gaara bent down next to Tenoki, who was shaking with fear. He put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump.

"It's ok, Tenoki..." He said with a sad but sympathetic expression on his face, looking at her pathetic state on the ground. She calmed down at hearing his voice, letting out a small sigh of releif. He took her hand and helped her up to her feet. Her legs were still shaking slightly as he led her home.

"...You're still thinking about Isei and the Hari clan, arent you?..." Gaara said quietly as they walked down the street holding hands. Tenoki did not answer, but her sad and bleeding eyes that watched the ground told him he knew the answer. "...Of course you are, it's only been a few months... I'm sorry for bringing it up..."

".......It's....... ok...." She whispered. The two walked into Gaara's house, Tenoki's new place of residence since her clan had been destroyed. Tenoki had gone into a state of withdrawl the past few months, talking to no one but Gaara. He led her around like a seeing eye dog, and she would panic when left alone for too long or lost without him. Gaara did not mind, however, he had never had someone trust him so much or ever depend on him, and he was glad to have someone there, a friend...

The months went by, seasons changed yet it was always the same in their desert village, dry and sandy, with random sandstorms and a hot sun beating down durring the day. The nights were unbeleivably cold, especially in winter. No one dared venture outside at night without a damn good reason, and even those were thought foolish.

* * *

"...Sanju ichi... sanju ni... sanju san... sanju shi... sanju go..." Tenoki counted her footsteps as she slowly walked down the sidewalk, dragging her hand across the wall of buidings and houses to keep her in a straight line. "...Sanju roku... sanju nana... sanju-" Suddenly she tripped, falling flat on her face. The sound of kids laughing was heard from behind her. Someone had stuck their foot in front of her and tripped her. She stood back up, using the wall for guidance and support. With her back to them she began to walk away. "...Sanju hachi... sanju-" She stopped dead in her trackes, her voice cut off when a rock hit her in the back. The children laughed again.

"Hey! Don't do that! She'll call that weird kid again..." One girl whispered quietly to the leader.

Slowly Tenoki turned around to face the direction of her tormentors, her eyes filled with menacing rage, peircing the dry air around them. The kids stopped laughing, backing up uncertainly and muttering under their breath nasty comments about her.

"...will stop... fun of me...." Tenoki's shakey voice whipsered timidly, her eyes the only part of her showing her rage.

"What did she say?" They asked each other with confused looks on their faces. Their prey was not suposed to fight back.

"_...I said.._" Tenoki said softly. "_...You will stop making fun of me!!!_" She yelled at the top of her lungs, making the girls jump and the boys back up defensively. Her sudden outburst surprized some of the younger ones so much they began to cry, her threatening voice none knew she possessed lashing at them like a whip, the anger visible in her eyes was frightening. Some of the children ran. The tough ones stayed, ready to defend against the one they had been able to make cry for so long.

The wind picked up, and with a mighty howl hurled sand in the faces of the children. Tenoki barred her teeth, her loud growls blended with the snarls of the wind swirling around her. She grew fangs, such sharp ones that looked as if they could easily rip through flesh. She crouched down slightly in a fighting stance, her hands turning to claws. By now every child was running, but she wouldnt't let them get off that easily...

In the blink of an eye, they were being chased by a dark blue rabid wolf, huge sharp teeth showing, nostrils flairing, she snarled as her four legs caught up to them easily. In a streak of dark blue, she was in front of them. The children cried, stopping. They were surrounded by a single being, unable to run in any direction. They huddled together, screaming and crying for their mommies. The wolf sniffed the air, it's silver eyes unfocused. Suddenly all the hair on it stood on end, straight and sharp needles shimmering blue. With a deafening howl it lunged at the children.

".......Sanju kyu....sanju ju... yonju... yonju ichi...." Tenoki counted her footsteps as she slowly walked down the sidewalk, dragging her hand across the wall of buidings and houses to keep her in a straight line as she walked home. The air was completely quiet, all that could be heard was her soft counting as she turned a corner of a building.


	3. The Sound of Sand

Sand and Blood

Chapter Three

The Sound of Sand

_Repitition creates security... Security creates weakness... and weakness leaves you desperate._

The sun rose, just like it did every morning, the sandstorm from the cold night air settled when warmed by the sun, just like it did every morning. Gaara awoke to hear someone knocking on his door, a loud, strong knock. He walked towards the door, passing the couch Tenoki slept on. She was awake, her eyes open. But... she looked diferent somehow... The sadness that had been in her eyes for so long was still there as she stared into the corner of the room, yet...

The door knocked again, just as loud. Tenoki did not jump or even move. Gaara went over to the door, opening it not even a crack, just enough that he could see through it. The door was thrust open all the way by the outsider, knocking Gaara back. Standing in the doorway was the Kazekage, in front of him a very aggressive-looking Sound Ninja who had forced the door open, maybe only 19 or 20. Gaara backed up, looking back and forth from the two. The Kazekage looked down at Gaara, glaring, but the Sound Ninja lookded around the room until he found Tenoki with his eyes, sleeping on the couch. Her back was to them as she lay moitionless.

"Hari Tenoki..." The Sound Ninja said. She turned only her head, so she was facing the direction of the man, her eyes completely missing him as much as she tried to look at him. "I see..." He said, examining her. He walked closer to her, she turned back around and said nothing.

"What do you want? Leave Tenoki alone!" Gaara said, walking towards the ninja. The Kazekage reached an arm out in front of him, gesturing he stop. Gaara did, and watched as the ninja approached Tenoki. He crouched in front of her, staring into her eyes. She stared through him. He stood back up, eyes closed, deep in though, concentrating.

"I will take her..." He said, bowing to the Kazekage.

"'What? Take her where?" Gaara said, getting scared.

"Tenoki does not belong here anymore. She cannot be trained by you, Gaara. Since she is blind, it is best for her to be trained under a Sound Ninja. She cannot depend on you to hold her hand all her life... So she will become Mitsunari's subordiante, and go to the Sound Ninja's village..." Both Gaara and Tenoki's eyes widened at hearing this. Gaara pushed past the Kazekage and ran towards his friend. She stood up, Gaara in front of her like a human shield.

"I wont let you take her!" Suddenly the two lowered to the ground, their hands over their ears. The Sound Ninja's left hand's fingers were spread out, a metal wire attached to each led to the palm of his hand. A small machine of some kind was petruding from his palm, being pulled out further by the wires. A high-pitched sound was emmitting from it. In the blink of an eye, the ninja was behind the two, and picked up Tenoki around the waist with his free hand, his other still manipulating the device.

"Noo! Tenoki!" Gaara called. She was crying blood again, screaming Gaara's name. Mitsunari quickly closed his hand into a tight fist, cutting off the sound. Gaara stood back up quickly. Tenoki was kicking and flailing, screaming for Gaara. She turned her body, reaching for the arm that held her against the man, and sunk her teeth into it. Mitsunari cursed, dropping her on the ground. With the same arm she bit her grabbeed her neck, squeezing it tightly. In a matter of seconds she was out, collapsed on the floor. He bent down and picked her up once more.

Gaara looked at the man with a killing intention, fists and teeth clenched. Ever window in the room shattered, sand pouring in and gathering around him.

"Gaara... calm down. You'll still be able to see her, I promise..." The Kazekage reassured him. But still the sands poured in the broken windows. Mitsunari crouched down, and in a flash was in front of Gaara so quickly he didnt have time to shield himself with his sands. Mitsunari reached his free hand backwards, the one with the machine in it that was still in a fist, and thrust it into Gaara'a stomach. He was forced backwards, falling onto his back as the sands around him fell to the ground. The Sound Ninja stood up calmly, Tenoki still held tightly in his right arm. Gaara did not move. The two calmly walked out of the house, closing the door behind them. Once taken a few steps, the door fell of the hinges and to the ground.

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Kazekage?" The Sound Ninja asked, his eyes lowering sympathetically towards the girl in his arms.

"We've been over this before, Mitsunari. I wont allow these two to be together in one village. When they get older, if they so choose... with both of their powers combined... they could destroy our entire village... No matter how many Jounin were sent to try to stop them. We need to make sure that will never happen." He said in a harsh, low, scratchy voice.

"...But is it really nessesary... To make it so they can never see each other again? I'm not sure I agree with that, sir-"

"I have my reasons, Mitsunari...It is also extremely dangerous to leave Tenoki unguarded here. She is the last of the Hari clan... There are many Ninja eagar to steal her clan's secrets... Not to mention..."

"I know, sir... I understand..." He nodded in a small bow.

"From now on she is your responsibility, under the care and guard of Iragi Mitsunari. She is to be taken to the Village of Sand's ally Ninja Village, the Village of Sound, where she will be taught to live and fight using her ears instead of her eyes." The Kazekage stopped, facing Mitsunari.

"Yes, sir. I understand." They each bowed to the other. The Sound Ninja dissapeared in the blink of an eye, a streak of black gone in a second against the horizon of the endless desert.

* * *

"Again, Tenoki," Mitsunari commanded. He stood high on a tree branch, arms crossed but patient. Kunai were stuck blade-first into almost every tree surrounding the clearing Tenoki sat in. She was on her knees, slightly out of breath and uncountable kunai stuck into the ground around her. "Out of ten, Tenoki. Hit me. _Now!_" He crouched down, jumping from tree brach to branch, quicker than the eye could see. Tenoki closed her eyes, a kunai clenched in each hand. Suddenly she bolted her head up, identifying his location, and threw the kunai, one after the other.

"_Ichi! Ni!_" She whispered outloud, knitting her eyebrows in concentration as she felt the ground around her for another kunai.

"Faster, Tenoki. Is this the best the Hari clan survivor can do? Don't just feel around for a kunai, already know where it is!" A kunai soared from the rustling tree branches as Mitsunari jumpped nimbly and quickly. It stuck blade-first next in the ground next to Tenoki. "Keep your ears open at all times! Locate the kunai by sound and vibrations through the ground-!" Before his sentance was finished, Tenoki's arm shot out to the kunai Mitsunari just threw, her index finger grabbing the metal loop at the end, her pinkey grabbing the kunai's ring next to it. With a swipe of her barred claw, both kunai we hurled at the dodging ninja.

"_San! Shi!_" She hissed though clenched teeth. His movements were quick, and the kunai cut through the leaves only a foot away from him.

"Better, Tenoki! But you're thinking too slow! Don't throw the kunai at me when you sense me- think ahead and plan my next movement!" He called from his incessant speeding through the trees.

"Yes, Mitsunari-sensei," Tenoki whispered, bowing her head slightly.

"We're not done here! You still have six tries left to hit me before it's time to run..." He said, "We can do this for days until you hit me, Tenoki...!" He was moving so fast around the clearing, it was hard to detect exactly where he was. Tenoki reached for another kunai, picking up a few and clutching them. She closed her eyes again and listened, like her sensei had taught her, listened for the sound of his feet hitting the tree branches, his body rustling the leaves to tell her which direction he was moving.

Once she had found him with her ears, she crossed her arms across her chest, readying the kunai to be thrown. She had three in each hand, in between her fingers, ready to use her last six chances at once. Suddenly, she jumped up to her feet, spinning around backwards, her long scarf flowing behind her, and straightened her arms with a snap, letting loose a barrage of kunai.

"_Go,roku,nana,hachi,ku,ju!!!_" She whispered again, refusing to raise her voice, as three kunai struck the tree behind Mitsunari. He gasped slighty, screeching to a halt on a single branch as three more kunai hit the tree in front of him. Six kunai, only a mere few feet away from peircing his skin, were all around him stuck to the trees. He was forced to stop, or be struck.

"Good, Tenoki!" He grinned for the first time. "You're a quick learner... Though I thank you for hanging on to my every word, I am still not hit..." He said calmly, for once standing still. He was obviously out of breath as he forced himself to stand up straight. "And that was ten..." He spread both arms out wide, grabbing a kunai with each and pullin them out of the bark. "I will use these... Two, for you're two consecutive losses thus far. Three next time, then four... You know the drill..." He spun each of the kunai around his middle fingers eagarly. "I suggest you start running..."


	4. Manhunt

Sand and Blood

Chapter Four

Manhunt

_Burn me once, shame on thee... Burn me again, shame on me..._

Tenoki immediately leapt from the ground, into the branches high above, opposite of Mitsunari. He waited with his eyes closed patiently, arms crossed, giving her a head start. She cursed under her breath. She had failed again. How many times would it take for her to hit him? The only two other times they had ever done this she had been unable to hit him at all, the drill going on for days on end. They each finally ended when she collapsed, mouth unbeleivably dry and starving half to death. It would probably be the same this time. She had a long way to go...

As she jumped, she listened not only for the sound of the branch as her foot stomped on it, but the vibrations sent up the tree and through the leaves, rusling the leaves and branches in all the trees around her, letting her know where the next branch she should jump to it, and whether or not she was about to hit one. She could still not manuver so quickly and be stealthy, for she needed to hear the loud sound her feet made on the branches in order to travel efficiently. This obviously gave away her location to anything around her. But she had been stepping increasingly lighter, not by much, but to get used to listening harder and not to make so much noise.

She listened for the sound of her sensei in the trees, but, as usual, there was none. He had mastered the art of stealth, and could easily track her down. She would never hear him until he was inches away, too focused on listening to her own vibrations on the trees closeby.

Tenoki slowed down, realizing this. If she was going to listen for her sensei, she would have to avert some of her attention away from her own sound. She listened all around her, for anything, a distant footstep, a far-off leaf fluttering to the ground, rustling softly... In her separated focusing on too many things at once, she miscalculated the location of a branch beneth her feet, coming up short and falling. She knew it, there was a branch beneath her. Too thin. With an extremely loud snap, it broke in two and she began falling once more, thin bendy branches whipping her body.

She didn't even hit the ground before being hit with something else, her sensei. He body slammed her feet off the ground, so they both crashed into a thick tree. He stood before her, pinning her to the tree with his right arm jammed into her stomach, his left holding a kunai to her throat. Her feet dangled a foot off the ground.

"That was really bad, Tenoki... What happened? I saw you slow down. Could you not find me going so fast?" He asked in a deep voice, looking into her eyes.

"...I'm... sorry...." She whispered, struggling to breathe from her painful position. Mitsunari let go of her, letting her fall to the ground in front of him. He threw the kunai down in front of her, the blades sticking into the dirt. She caught her breath and stood up, the two kunai in her hand.

"We need to work on your movements... They are very loud, and although you need them to be that is a very bad thing." He crossed his arms. "But I will not be as nice to you this time. If you do not hit me with one of the next ten kunai, you better run for your life... I will have three kunai, one in each hand... and one to throw. I will not miss." He said, his voice raising, making Tenoki back up against the tree timidly. He stared at her for a few seconds, his anger visible on his face. His eyebrows lifted sympathetically for a split second. "...And," He added, "From now on the rules have changed. Instead of standing still and being able to find me and the kunai using the vibrations through the ground... You will now chase me. One more thing," He added slowly. He grabbed both of her hands with his, taking the kunai from them. "I get two kunai still. If you fall too far behind, I am allowed to turn around and... remind you why you should keep moving. Understand?" He backed up, giving her room to breathe. She nodded. He backed up further, getting down on one knee. "Ready.... _Go!_" He bolted from the ground, dissapearing into the trees. Tenoki's head was resting on the tree she leaned on, feeling for the close vibrations of the branches to tell her which direction her sensei had taken. She jumped into the trees as well, taking the path where the leaves still quietly rustled.

She readied a kunai in each hand, closing in on Mitsunari.

"_Ichi!_" A kunai was sent through the leaves, making holes in them. It soared towards Mitsuanri, who doged effortlessly. "_Ni! San! Shi!_" Three more kunai missed. Tenoki pressed on, chasing a man more than twice as fast as her. Within a few seconds she had completely lost him, running as fast as she could without hitting anything was proving to be a difficult task.

Far in front of her, Mitsunari sensed he had lost her. He stopped, balancing on a small branch. He shook his head. "_Hari! Here I come!_"

Tenoki stopped, leaning on a tree. What should she do? There was no way she could catch him like this...With only six kunai left, she had to think of some way to catch up to him. If she wasted these kunai... Tenoki took his word that if he said he wouldn't miss her, he wouldn't. He had said that before. She could not dodge anything thrown by him...

A noise to her right made her turn quickly. A kunai soared straight towards her, into her shoulder. She fell backwards onto the ground, the kunai in her right arm lay on the ground next to her. She picked them up with her left hand, all six held there. Her sensei stood above her.

"You can still get me. I know you are smart enough, Tenoki. Get up, you have five seconds..." Tenoki pushed herself to her feet with the left side of her body, avoiding using her right arm. Her sensei began to run again. She forced herself to run, making no effort to be quiet, no effort to avoid small branches that snapped on contact with her chest and legs.

An image filled her mind, the only color red. Her family... Isei... The man standing above the blood... Who had made it all... He was laughing at her... No matter how long ago, the thought still tormented her, haunted her dreams...If she couldn't do this... How could she ever find him...and...Gaara...

She ran, full speed ahead, but the distance between them was slowly growing. Mitsunari did not sense her near. He stopped, turning aorund, ready again to reverse the hunt. There she was, on the ground again, standing this time, with her ear to a tree. She had not heard him coming. He was too good, stepping light as a feather, a trait far from that of Tenoki. He readied the kunai in his hand, deciding on another non life-threatening place to strike her. He crouched down, lunging foreword, his foot hitting a thin metal wire tied across the path that looked like a trip wire. It got stuck on his ankle, he pulled it forewards as he ran.

Five kunai shot out from all directions. Only two missed. Three were stuck blade-first into his body, one in his leg, one in his arm, and one in his back. The momentum kept him going, towards Tenoki. She was ready. The last kunai in her left hand, she lunged at him, hitting him in midair and knocking him backwards into a tree. The kunai was held still an inch away from his face.

Mitsunari clenched his teeth in pain, the kunai in between his back and the tree being slowly pushed further into him. With a swipe of his arm he shoved her hard onto her side. He forced a smile. "Very good, Tenoki... I see you have finally grasped the point of this drill..."

"....Don't chase you... wait until you get far enough away and set a trap... then, when you come back..." Tenoki whispered from the ground. Mitsunari pulled the kunai out of his leg and arm.

"...Tenoki... I hate to ask..." He started. She stood up, understanding, and walked behind him, yanking the kunai out of his back far from gently. He yelled curses, but forced a laugh after.

"Just remember this... Never... _ever... _play to your opponent's game... they will have the advantage... There are always loopholes, you just have to find them..."

* * *

She had not left him voluntarily, he told himself. They had been inseperable for a whole year. No one else gave him a chance. No one else had ever loved him. He could never look at anyone the same way, the same caring way as he had looked down on her. He would never touch anyone else again, hold any one else's hand... No one had ever been so close to him... And no one ever would.

And yet he hated her. Why, he asked himself, hadn't he seen her in three years? He was only seven when she left, she was only six... he did not know why, but he blamed her. There was no one else at fault. The Kazekage had told him for years now the story. Parts of it conflicted with his own memory, but he was only seven, the Kazekage said. He did remember the blood. She had always cried blood. It was his fault, his sand that blinded her and destroyed her eyes. But she didn't care. She had no one else, too. So then why didn't she care about him anymore? Why? He though to himself as he stood above the mound of corpses. They were drenched in blood. Blood she used to cry. It felt warm.


	5. Broken

Sand and Blood

Chapter Five

Broken

_The path one chooses in life is determined by their course of actions... Choose not the path of regret, even if you cannot see the path._

"I think we both deserve to take a day off..." Mitsunari said from his spot on the couch. He was wearing nothing but boxers and of course, his Sound Ninja forehead protector. Bandages were wrapped around his chest to hold the gauze onto his back, and around his arm and leg. He did not move, for it took him a very long time to get situated on his back so it wouldn't hurt. There was a blanket down beneath him just in case, he did not want to get blood on the place he slept every night. Since Tenoki had been given to him, they had been living in the same house. Naturally, Mitsunari let her have the bed, despite her protests that she takes up less room and would fit better on the couch. She had never had a bed since her parents died, and for the longest time refused to sleep in it. In the morning she would be lying in the strangest places; on the floor in the kitchen, in the empty bathtub... Even now, every now and then, she would pick up old habits.

"I don't care what you say, Mitsunari-sensei... You can sleep in the bed tonight, I'm really sorry-"

"Don't apologize! The object of the drill was to hit me with the kunai! If I got hit by one for every time I told you to, hell, I'd be dead by now..." He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "I feel like I've been upstaged by my own subordinate! Looks like you've hit the point where I can stop going easy on you..." He mumbled. "I shouldn't have underestimated you... Lets just say we both learned something form this drill." He said in a low, sleepy voice, his eyes closing. Tenoki just listened to his mutters, her left hand on her right shoulder. She could tell she had caused him pain. What was she thinking? Why on earth did she set such a dangerous trap? He obviously wasn't expecting it. Though slightly proud of her triumph, she kept thinking about Mitsunari... She didn't have to push him into the tree... It wouldn't have been so bad if she had just left it at that. Her hand around her own wound tightened, her nails digging into her gouged skin. She clenched her teeth, her hand tightening more. Blood began to trickle down her arm.

Anger swarmed in over her like a storm cloud. She could not explain why. The same images- God why wouldn't they go away- kept penetrating her mind. She couldn't make them go away. They wouldn't leave her alone. She started crying silent deep red.

Mitsunari painfully sat up and turned to see her. He quickly stood, rushing over to where she sat on the floor, grabbing her arm and trying to pull it away from her shoulder. "Tenoki! Stop it!" She let out a cry of pain, her wound now completely torn open. "_Tenoki! _What the hells wrong with you?!" He held his own hand over it, trying to stop the blood flow. "Why did you do that?!" He said, squeezing her shoulder hard as the blood slowly began to stop. She did not answer. She could not answer. Her throat was in knots, she started choking. In her mind, the man covered in the blood of her family, laughed silently at her, all sound had ceased. She could no longer hear her sensei. All that was in her mind was the face of him, laughing maniacally, all in red... Smiling, he mouthed, '_you next_'. Tenoki blacked out.

* * *

When she awoke, she was lying in the empty bathtub again. Had she been walking in her sleep? She got up, noticing bandages around her shoulder that stretched across her chest and around the other one, to keep it on tight. She left the bathroom. Mitsunari was still on the couch. She could hear him snoring. She knew it was sometime in the middle of the night by the loud chirping of the crickets outside. She sat down on the floor in front of the couch. She was dead tired, but she did not want to be alone right now. Her brother was still laughing at her. She scooted closer to the couch.

"...What are you doing awake, Mitsunari?" She whispered. The room was silent for a long time.

"... How'd you know I was awake?" He asked, chuckling.

"...Because you don't snore."

"But I don't know that. You could have been lying to trick me."

"Then you fell for it." Tenoki smiled slightly. "...Why was I in the bathtub? Did you put me there?" she asked.

"Yeah. You would have ended up there anyways, so I figured, what the hell." He yawned , attempted to stretch, then cursed loudly for pulling on his wounds. He did not ask her why she had purposely hurt herself. He simply left it alone. In all honesty, she did not know why she had done it. She was not, nor had ever been suicidal; she just couldn't control her impulse...

Tenoki's eyes stared blankly at the corner of the room. She did not speak but sat quietly, waiting for Mitsunari to fall back asleep so she would be alone again. She slid closer to the couch, leaning on his arm that hung off it, listening to his slow, deep breaths. He was asleep now, snoring softly. She stood up and walked down to the edge of the couch, curling up at the end of it in the space between his feet and the arm of the sofa.

* * *

She awoke when kicked hardly in the shoulder. She clenched her teeth, bolting up and clutching it with her hand. She fell off the side, landing on her back, legs in the air. She stayed there for a while. Mitsunari was still asleep. He did not do it on purpose. And besides, she deserved much worse for what she had done to him. She sat up, her head turning towards the window. Outside, the crickets were still chirping, telling her it was still night. Someone knocked on the door.

Tenoki knew better than to just go over and open it. She couldn't tell who it was unless they said something, and even then if she didn't recognize their voice it could be dangerous. She walked over to the door, leaning against it with her good shoulder.

"...Who is it?" She said softly.

"It's me, Tetsuo," Came the deep voice of Mitsunari's brother. She had meet him many times before, he and Mitsunari were very close. But was he doing, knocking on their door in the middle of the night? She hoped nothing was wrong...

Tenoki turned the locks until they clicked loudly, and pulled open the door slowly. Suddenly the door was thrown open and someone jumped on her, the sound of a blade swiftly cutting through air filled her ears and she caught the person's hand with both of hers before the kunai could reach her. One of the man's hands was around her neck, keeping her pinned to the ground, in between his legs, the other hovering above her head, trying to force its way through her hands.

Tenoki let go of his hand with her left as she reached into the man's kunai bag on his leg, for she could not get to her own. With a swipe of the blade he jumped backwards, and she bolted back to her feet. She had cut him across the chest, she could smell the blood. She could also sense that this man was not Tetsuo, and he had a killing intention meant for her.

Before Tenoki could even regain proper balance, the man quickly sped around her, stopping above where Mitsunari slept on the couch.

"Kill yourself or this man dies..." He threatened. Tenoki whirled around to face his direction, the silver in her eyes beginning to shine from the light of the moon that filtered in through the windows. A deafening howl filled the room, the man had said the wrong thing. In the blink of an eye Tenoki was gone, a dark wolf had appeared on the other side of the room, teeth barred and sharp, crouched down and ready to attack. The man knew he had made a mistake.

He quickly tried to jam the kunai down into Mitsunari's throat, but was stopped when tackled by the beast. His kunai slid across the floor with a loud clank, as the monster stood on top of him, growling and snarling. Its huge jaws opened, finding in them the mans neck as it bit down hard. The man was screaming and yelling, trying to fend off the creature with kunai, but none could pierce through it's coat of needles, his hand was filled with holes before it could find skin to try and hit with the blades.

The wolf tore out his throat, and he stopped screaming abruptly, his mouth still hung open. It bit him to pieces, crushing through bones until the floor and walls were soaked in blood. Mitsunari watched in horror the scene at the far corner of the room, awoken by the sound of death filling his house. The wolf stood above the man, still growling.

"...Tenoki!" Mitsunari could hardly speak. The wolf turned to face him, ears perked up at hearing her name. She hobbled back towards his couch, the bandages on her shoulder cut by her needles. Immediately after he reached his hand out to her, she began to growl. All she could smell was the blood of the man who had threatened to kill her sensei. He had fooled her by pretending to be Tetsuo. He had even masked his scent to that of Tetsuo. He knew what he was doing and what he wanted.

But she could also still smell Mitsunari's blood, faintly, the pain she had caused him. His hand was still held above her head, waiting for her to come out of her rage. She sniffed his hand, and quickly bowed her head submissively, her ears back against her neck and her needles laying flat on her body. He put his hand on her head as her silver eyes dimmed and she was human again, kneeling before where he sat on the couch.

"...I'm sorry..." Mitsunari was the first to apologize, not giving Tenoki enough time to process what she had done. She tilted her face up towards him, surprised at his unusual behavior. She said nothing. "...I'm sorry, Tenoki... I was supposed to protect you... for Kiyoko and Naoaki..." Hearing these names seemed to perk up Tenoki.

"...Did you know my parents...?" She whispered through her pinched throat. Mitsunari looked at her and nodded, realizing that was pointless but did not say anything. He didn't have to tell her anything, nothing he could say could make it better. He was young when he met them, but, like everyone who met the Hari clan was immediately intrigued by them. All of them were nice and polite, yet one look into their eyes was enough to silence a room full of restless children. A clan that demanded respect, their powers so unimaginable...

Mitsunari shook his head, trying to shut out all the thoughts flowing into his head at once. He looked back to the pile of dismembered limbs in the corner of the room, the last of the blood spilling out of them and onto the floor.

"...He must have known I was wounded... To attack at such a convenient time was no coincidence..." Mitsunari changed the subject, but Tenoki said no more. How could he have let such danger fall upon her... She is his responsibility, how could he have been so careless? on..." He stood up, walking towards his room to change.

"...Where are we going...?" Tenoki said hesitantly.

"We are going to stay with Tetsuo... For at least a couple days so I wont have to worry about you... And I can be alone and sleep..." Tenoki tensed up. She had no problem with Tetsuo, but she did not know him very well. Mitsunari adored his little brother, who was only a year or so older than she. Tenoki did, however, have a problem with his constant hitting on her whenever Mitsunari wasn't around. He did not care that he was only thirteen and she was only twelve. He had decided a few years ago they would be married someday. Going to live with him? This she could not stand for...

She tried to protest, but before she could get the words out of her mouth the door to Mitsunari's room closed as he went to get changed. Why would Mitsuanri feel safer with her in the hands of a thirteen year old than her alone? Had she not just proven that she is not so disabled as before without her eyes?

"Tenoki! Is that all right with you?" He asked through the closed door between them. Tenoki muttered a response saying that she did, as much as she wanted to say she'd rather be left alone. Mitsunari emerged from the room after a while, his Jounin outfit on. He walked towards her as he refilled his kunai bags, snapping them closed. "I know it will be all right with Tetsuo..." Mitsunari chuckled. So he knew about his little crush. This should be fun.


	6. Private Being

Sand and Blood

Chapter Six

Private Being

_If you want me, come and get me..._

Tetsuo lived alone. Tenoki often wondered why he didn't live with Mitsunari, but Mitsunari said _he _wouldn't allow it. _He_ said that the only person that Tenoki should ever learn to trust should be Mitsunari, no one else. _He_ knew of her problems with other people, and realized that too much interaction would only push her away from everyone, therefore making her useless to him. _He_ wanted Tenoki at Mitsunari's command. But this neither of them knew.

Tetsuo lived by himself, but surrounded in the tiny houses of Sound Ninja about as old as him in a large clearing in the woods of their village, not nearly as out of the way as Mitsunari's place. Although Mitsunari's was bigger, Tetsuo's house was somewhat comfortable and cozy, but barely big enough to fit the three of them and maintain their individual privacy.

As Mitsunari and Tenoki walked down the dirt paths in the village that wound through the thinning trees, passing small shops and buildings, neither spoke. Their village was quiet and laid-back, with spread-out homes and not a lot of commotion. The most sound out today was the birds, chirping in the trees and flying overhead, casting shadows on the ground in front of them. They each carried nothing, their possessions meaningless unless they were sharp and could be used to kill. But all that was hidden in their clothes, or in kunai bags, so there was little need for anything else.

They came to the house and stopped, Mitsunari knocking with his knuckles on the wooden door. A few seconds later, a voice came from inside demanding to know who the hell was at the door. Mitsunari simply told him to open the damn door right this instant or he would kill him as slowly and painfully as possible. The door swung open.

"Hey, Mitsun-!" Tetsuo said, stopping at seeing Tenoki next to his brother. "Hello, Tenoki!!" She bowed to him, saying nothing, as usual. He expected this response and stepped aside to let them in, closing the door after them. "So what brings you two here?" He asked as they walked in and sat down on his couch in the small room, Tenoki on the end and Mitsunari in between them.

"A ninja paid us a little visit last night... I was asleep when he attacked Tenoki-"

"WHAT?!?" Tetsuo jumped to his feet, his fists clenched.

"It's ok... She's fine. But neither of us is in the best condition. Although I do not have my doubts that Tenoki could fight off any attackers with or without my help, I do not think it is best for us to stay alone out so far with no other houses around us if there was any... trouble. Do you understand?" Mitsunari spoke, not looking at his brother but staring at the floor, as if he were reciting a piece he had been practicing and forcing himself to remember word-for-word. Tetsuo stared into Tenoki's eyes, a fire ablaze in his, still standing up with his fists clenched.

"I understand, Mitsunari! I will protect you and Tenoki while you recover!!" Mitsunari rolled his eyes, reaching his arm out to his brother and shoving him hard to the ground.

"Shaddap..." He leaned back in the sofa, content with himself and closing his eyes as he dozed off. For the next four years, until Tenoki had turned 16, they roomed with Tetsuo. Upon returning to their home far away, it was set ablaze with them inside days later. They agreed that it would be best to stay in a more populated area and to cease cutting themselves from society and making themselves clear targets. Needless to say, Tetsuo was thrilled.

A hawk circled overhead the dry Hidden Village of the Sand, one of the signals sent to every village to tell them it was time for the Chuunin exams. A female and male ninja stood silently behind Gaara, the hope and happiness had left his eyes for good. They had turned black; empty voids that sent chills down one's spine. They were filled with nothing but hatred.

"It's time..." He said in a deep voice, a harsh sound that made the two behind him jump; their eyes wary.

The sound of running water rang in Tetsuo's ears, making him jump from the couch where he lounged playing video games, falling flat on his face. He stood straight up in the dim room, the sun had set and he looked around, scanning the room to see if Mitsunari was back yet from whatever he had said he was doing, Tetsuo wasn't listening. He was gone, where mattered not to Tetsuo. It had been four years since his older brother and his subordinate had moved in with him, and ever since his testosterone had been raging like an uncontrollable wild fire. Although they were all cramped, living in such a small house, Tetsuo didn't mind. He got the bed most of the time, Mitsunari the couch and Tenoki wherever she felt like sleeping, Tetsuo never saw actually saw her.

He ran, sliding to a stop in front of the bathroom and pressing his ear against the door. Just as he suspected: it was the shower. His eyes widened, his heart pounding out of his chest. He rested his hand on the doorknob, his sweaty palms sliding as he turned it slowly...

He shoved the door open and tripped on his way to the shower, ripping the curtain to the side. It slid noisily on the bar it hung from. The shower was empty; the only sound filling the room was the water hitting the bare shower floor.

"Why, Tenoki?! _Why?!_" He left the bathroom, slamming the door as he cursed and went back to playing video games in the other room. Tenoki hung parallel to the floor, her left hand clenched around the bar, her left foot's toes doing likewise. Her right hand and foot were pressed against the shower wall opposite the bar, suspending her body out of sight. The tips of her now shoulder-length hair were shoved in her mouth, to prevent them from dripping down where the shower did not and giving away her position.

A few seconds after Tetsuo had left, her right hand and foot slipped on the slick wall, wet from the water, and she fell face-first onto the floor. The shower continued to pour water on her naked body. She pushed herself to her feet, and after spitting out the soap from her mouth she stormed out of the bathroom in only a towel, dripping water everywhere. Tetsuo jumped as the door was thrust open, dropping his controller and bolting to his feet.

"...Uh...Hi, Tenoki...." He tried to act innocent as he hid behind the couch. Tenoki's teeth and fists were clenched, her wet hair covering most of her face. She screamed out a battle cry and lunged at him, her one fist met with his face and the other held her towel up. Tetsuo backed away, holding his jaw with one hand and trying to shield himself with the other.

"_What... the.. hell... were you trying to do...._" Tenoki hissed between deep breaths.

"..N-Nothing, I swear! I was... uh... I though..." He stammered, staring at her body. He was not backed up against the door, sliding his hand frantically on it to find the doorknob.

Suddenly the door burst open, knocking him forward and into Tenoki. The both toppled to the ground, Tetsuo on top of Tenoki. She yelled, freaking out that he was so close. Mitsunari, standing in the doorway, rushed in, grabbing his brother by the back of his shirt's neck. Tetsuo was quickly thrust to his feet and turned around to face Mitsunari, whose fist hit him so hard in the stomach the wind was knocked out of him and he collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

"What the fuck's going on here?! Tetsuo, you've crossed the line..." He was emitting so much anger that Tenoki shut up and lay still. He pulled her to her feet and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. "You, go get some clothes on! You," He looked down at his brother who was still coughing. "I can't even look at you right now..." His eyes were slits as he stared disgustedly at Tetsuo.

"..._it's... not like...that... I... wasn't...trying....to..._" He tried to find the words and his breath, but neither came to him. Tenoki had ran to the bathroom and threw her night clothes on; a baggy button-up t-shirt of Mitsunari's he gave her a long time ago. She came back out and stood next to Mitsunari.

"It's ok... Although I am going to kill your brother one of these days, now's not the time..." She said softly, her hands slightly shaking and her eyes closed.

"So you heard it, then," He said, looking at her. She nodded, and went into the bedroom and closed the door. Tetsuo would not complain that she took his room; she always does when she's angry. He never bothered her in there, not after whatever he does to make her go in there in the first place.

"Heard what?" Tetsuo said in a scratchy voice as he finally caught his breath.

"The bird..." He muttered, still furious with his brother but not knowing what to do with him. "I have been given the orders. We leave first thing tomorrow morning..."


	7. Enter Konoha

Sand and Blood

Chapter Seven

Enter Konoha

_It is in change we find purpose_

"Tenoki..." Mitsunari started, but paused to think, looking up at the ceiling. She waited patiently for him to find the words as they sat in a hotel in Konoha Village. It had two double-beds in the main room, side-by-side, a bathroom and a small kitchen. They were not sharing a house with Tetsuo this time; instead he bunked with the other three ninja from the Sound Village in a bigger room below them in the same hotel. They were all here for the same reason. "You will be put in a group of three for the exams. I know you're... not used to that, but please just deal with your teammates and try to work together with them."

"...Who am I to put up with, sensei...?" Tenoki asked timidly, her voice shrinking at the thought of the only two Sound Ninja groups of their village. Which one would she have to join?

Mitsunari sighed, the first and most obvious indication of who she had been paired with.

"I'm sorry, Tenoki, I suggested you be with Dosu and his team, but I did not choose. You're paired with Tetsuo and his group..." Mitsunari looked up at Tenoki, his voice deepening. "But... If he gets too bad... I will kill him personally." He said, half joking and half not. "Please don't do anything rash, and don't forget our purpose here... anything too serious could cost us the mission. I will have a talk with Tetsuo also, so don't worry." He paused, Tenoki did not speak. "Remember when I was telling you about this time we will spend in Konoha during the Chuunin exams?" Tenoki nodded. She always remembers. "You remember your assignment, I have no doubts..." He spoke in a serious tone. She nodded once more.

"Yes, Mitsunari-san..."

"Do not forget who your target is... Once you find him, there is no way to undo what needs to be done... So don't get the wrong man.... I'm counting on you, Tenoki..."

"I will not let you down, sensei..." She bowed to him respectfully, not showing any signs of distress. He nodded back at her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I will tell you when the time comes... until then, at least try to be nice to people, and do not attract unnecessary attention to yourself..." He removed his firm hand from her shoulder, stood up and walked towards the door. "Go to the meeting, all participants must attend. It's already started, but I know you will get in undetected." He opened the door and in a flash Tenoki had vanished.

"...to take the Chuunin exams..." A Jounin ninja spoke to a crowd of lower ninjas, all taking the exam. A boy wearing a bright orange outfit yawned and stretched, looking around at his competition and completely tuning out the instructor's voice. He turned to his side, his eyes watery from yawing, and jumped.

"Who the hell are you?!" He blurted out in a loud whisper. A few other ninjas turned around and shushed him, but he paid not attention. A girl with dark blue hair up in a ponytail had seemingly appeared next to him, she wasn't there a second ago. Her scarf fluttered down until it lay still against her back. "Where did you come from?!" He asked slightly softer, still being shushed by a few people.

"Me? ...I was standing here the whole time..." Tenoki turned to the boy, thinking of Mitsunari and forced a half-smile. The boy was convinced, and watched her cautiously. Nobody else had seen her come in. The instructor continued.

"The first test will be a written one," The boy in orange almost fell over at hearing this.

"_NANI?!_"

"It will be held tomorrow at the school, promptly at 9 AM. Those who are late of do not attend will be disqualified. Also, the score of all three in the team will be added up for an accumulative score. If one person fails, they take their entire group down with them." He paused, looking around to where the sound ninjas had congregated on the other side of Tenoki. "However, we do have a special case. There is one group of four," He stopped briefly to wait for the students to stop groaning and complaining that their score would be the highest. "That's not necessarily true... The four of them will still be graded the same, so, if anything, they have it worse than the rest of you. They have a greater chance of one of them failing the entire team." he said, "We will explain the rules of the test tomorrow before you take it. This meeting is over. See you all tomorrow,"

Everyone filed out of the room and outside, talking within their groups. The boy in orange still looked crushed, his face dead-like. The other two members of his group came up, a girl with pink hair and a boy with raven-black hair. Neither of them looked so hot either.

"Naruto... Please, at least get one question right tomorrow...." The girl hissed at him.

"Sakura, don't pressure him or he'll do even worse. Naruto," The boy looked Naruto in the face. "Don't get all the questions wrong tomorrow, got it?" He said forcefully.

"Hey, Tenoki!" Someone called to her, breaking her concentration on the blonde boy's conversation with his own team. Three boys faced her, Tetsuo in the middle. The one to his right had his arms crossed and looked unhappy. He was wearing a white shirt with a low V-neck, the sleeves ripped off to reveal a tattoo down his right arm of a Chinese dragon, spiraling around his arm and disappearing under his shirt at his shoulder. He had shaggy white hair that covered his right eye and the right half of his forehead protector. The boy on the other side of Tetsuo also did not look very happy as he stared at Tenoki with a disgusted look on his face. He had short, black, untamed hair that spiked in every direction, except for one extremely long lock of hair in front of both of his ears that hung down to his chest. He had an evil look that would never leave his face no matter how much he smiled.

"So this is Tenoki? Not bad, Tetsuo, she's pretty cute," The guy with black hair said. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his baggy grey jacket that was unzipped, revealing a t-shirt under it picturing the silhouettes of naked girls. He reached out his right hand for her to shake. "Name's Hideyoshi, butchu can call me Yosh." No one thought it was weird that they had all grown up in the same small village, and even had the same forehead protector with the sound symbol on it, but had hardly ever caught a glimpse of Tenoki.

The other boy with the white hair did not speak, but examined her. "And that's Ryu. He's anti-social, don't mind him." Yosh put his hand back in his pocket once he realized that Tenoki was not about to shake it. They all started walking down the crowded streets in a line, Yosh next to Tenoki, and a steaming Tetsuo becoming more and more infuriated as Yosh kept trying to talk to Tenoki.

The turmoil and chaos of the busy roads was unfamiliar to the Sound Ninjas, each except Tenoki and Ryu, were looking around and taking in everything. They spoke not to any other ninjas as that made their way down the dirt road, passing cramped together stores and buildings and shops.

"I have to go now..." Tenoki stopped walking, and the others turned to face her. She bowed to them all. "...It was.... nice meeting you..." She stood back up straight and was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving her new teammates alone and confused in the crowded streets. Ryu stood calmly, waiting for the other two to calm down as well.

"Yeah... see you tomorrow..." Tetsuo said to her, wherever she had vanished to. They walked back together to their hotel room as the sun was setting. Back in their room, Ryu had to talk Tetsuo and Yosh out of going out to meet the "chicks of Konoha," and to convince them that it would be wise to get some rest to be mentally ready for the test tomorrow. He lost the argument, but they stayed home due to minor concussions and slept soundly all night.


	8. Dragon\'s Eye

Sand and Blood

Chapter Eight

Dragon's Eye

_There is no greater fear than not being in control..._

Every student taking the Chuunin exams had entered the large room where they would all be tested, every group to be separated. Everyone sat down at a seat assigned to them, Tenoki sat towards the middle of the room, her teammates spread out around the room. Everyone sat still, patient and nervous, as the rules were explained.

"...The test has ten questions on it. Each question is worth one point, for a total of ten if you get them all right. You must at least get one point, or else your entire team will fail as well as you." The instructor at the front of the room said. By now everyone had noticed the many Jounin sitting around the room, in chairs leaning against the walls. Each had a clipboard and a pencil in their hand. "We are monitoring you, and every time you get caught cheating we will deduct two points from your individual score. So, if you are caught five times you and your team are out. The tests will be administered now." He paused, handing a Jounin the tests to hand out. "And as of now, there will be no talking. This means no questions, either, so you, put your hand down. If you talk you and your team are disqualified. Begin!"

After every student had time to examine their tests, people began to panic, beads of sweat forming on their brows. Tenoki could sense the worry and distress sent off of everyone in the room like rays of hot sun. Tenoki began to worry also as she ran her fingers across the test. There was no Braille.

Before she began panicking as well, she focused on the scratches of someone's pencil on their paper, but there were too many and she could not keep track of just one. Even if she found out the answer, she wouldn't have the slightest idea of where to write the answer on the paper, or even which question she was answering.

Something caught her attention and caught her in mid-panic. Someone was writing her name down. She could hear the scratches, and immediately tried her hardest to cut out all the other sounds in the room. They were writing her name down repeatedly, trying to get her attention.

_Tenoki Tenoki Tenoki...._ The scratches in her ears formed letters in her mind. _If you can hear me touch your right ear..._ The pencil repeated. Tenoki lifted her hand and did so. _Number one the space to write is exactly the width of four fingers from the top of the page and three from the right side..._ Tenoki measured using her hand, setting her pencil where she should start writing. She followed the pencil's orders exactly, writing quickly every answer it gave her and measuring exactly, writing where it told her to.

She did not stop moving her hand once, forcing herself to tune out everything else and focus only on the quickly writing hand. She tried to ignore the occasional interruption of groups getting disqualified from cheating one too many times, hoping she wouldn't be caught but she highly doubted it. She just hoped the jerk offs in her group didn't get them disqualified.

Time passed slowly, the loud and steady clicking of the second hand on the clock hanging on the wall driving Tenoki mad. She set her right hand down, the sound of the answers meant for her had ceased. She assumed the person was figuring out the answer, and she set her hand down too close to the person next to her to give it a rest. Suddenly a blade thunked into the table in between her middle and ring finger. "No cheating. Remove your hand from his area. Minus two points." Tenoki quickly pulled her hand closer to her, her heart had skipped a beat. The only other time a kunai had been thrown was to signal someone was being disqualified. She slowly picked up her pencil again, her hand shaking slightly, and waited for the pencil to tell her what to do, where and what to write.

No matter how hard she listened it was not there. She focused on every individual pencil, one at a time, but none of them was the right one. She could not just randomly write down what someone else was without any indication to where she needed to write it. The man who had just taken two points from her took her only two points; she was only on question three and had not written down the answer yet, no points there. The sound of someone's head hitting the table loudly to her far left echoed through the quiet room.

_Tenoki Tenoki Tenoki...._ She heard it again, and reached for her right ear. _I suggest you keep your hands to yourself from now on I am done with my test but I can still help you hold still..._ Tenoki listened hard, and did not move. How was this person done already? It seemed impossible to her, but maybe that's just because she couldn't read the test. She had no clue what the questions were, only the answers she was given.

A sudden stabbing pain made Tenoki drop her pencil on the table and clutch her chest. It felt as if someone was driving a knife into her heart. The pain was followed by a screeching sound, a hollow, screaming growl as the pain only got worse, spreading across her chest and down her right arm. It felt like there were snakes squeezing her, wrapping in circles around her arm as they slithered down it. Her right arm reached for the pencil and began writing.

A huge yellow eye with a vertical slit of black pierced the back of Tenoki's head. It did not blink once as it controlled her. Tenoki was shaking, he could feel it.

"Pencils down." The instructor said. The eye closed and Tenoki nearly fell backwards as it felt as if something were being ripped from inside her, being pulled out through her back. She dropped her pencil and held her hands close, bending the fingers of her right hand. She could move it again. "Now I'm sure you all have been wondering why there are only nine questions on the test. The tenth question will be asked of you soon, but first let me explain the rules. If you decide to stay in the room and hear the last question, if you get the question right you automatically pass, regardless of how many previous questions you get wrong. You can still pass with only one point. However," He paused, scanning the nervous room. "If you get the question wrong, you and your team automatically fail... and none of you can ever take the Chuunin exams again." A girl with pink hair's hand shot up in the air.

"But what about all the people who have taken this test more than once already?" She asked.

"This is a new rule, just made this year. So, if you think you can answer this question, stay in your seat. If you want to leave, take your group with you. You and your group will be disqualified but can try again next time." One by one people started getting up, groups leaving through the door, some reluctant team members angry, some scared and confused. Tenoki stayed in her seat. She can't leave now, it would ruin everything. Her teammates knew this as well, and stayed put. In a few minutes, very few remained, only about seven or eight groups. They were given one last chance to bail, but no one did. The door closed.

"Well, I'm impressed. This is the most we've ever had stay for the last question. Everyone who stayed, congratulations, you pass." He smiled at them, the Jounin sitting around the room clapped politely.

"What? So there was no question? All we had to do was stay?" The pink-haired girl asked, completely confused. The instructor nodded, congratulating them all once more.

"The second test will begin soon!!" A woman with short black hair entered the room through the window. The instructor rolled his eyes.

"Give 'em a break, will ya?!" One Jounin said to her. She disregarded this and continued to talk.

"It starts tomorrow, meet me here at 5AM and I will lead the way!! Class dismissed!!" She smiled, as everyone in the room, tired and stressed from the test slowly stood up and walked out the door single file. "C'mon, get excited! See you all bright and early!!"

"Bright? It will still be dark that early..." A boy with black hair up in a messy ponytail complained. "What a bother..."

Tenoki waited outside with a new respect for her group. Maybe working with them wouldn't be so bad... At least they all had the balls to stay for the last question...

"Hey, Tenoki!" Tetsuo said, stopping in front of her, where she leaned against a building across the street from the school. Yosh was with him; he lifted his hand and slammed it down on Tetsuo's shoulder.

"Good thing for number ten! Tetsuo here couldn't answer one fucking question!"

"Hey, shutup-!"

"I tried to give you the answers, man! I almost got caught five times... Somehow one of those Jounins saw through my illusions! I tried to make you see the answers, couldn't you sense it? But I think I was giving the people around me a major headache... One of them even blacked out. Heh, he'll thank me later, he passed because he stayed for the last question..." As Yosh was talking, Ryu walked up next to him, his hands in his pant's pockets, his white hair covering his right eye.

"Hey, Ryu!" Yosh said. Ryu stared at Tenoki.

"You're welcome, Tenoki..." He said to her, and grinned. Tenoki's eyes widened, she stood up straight and bowed.

"...See you all tomorrow..." She said softly, and disappeared.


	9. Enter Death Forest: Day One

Sand and Blood

Chapter Nine

Enter Death Forest: Day One

_What makes a team... is the sacrifices one makes to help the others in it..._

Every group of ninja who had passed the first test stood in a circle, facing the ninja woman who had told them to meet here. She stood before a humongous fenced-in wooded area. Group Two of the Sound Ninja, Tetsuo's group, were all standing towards the back of the crowd, under the shade of a giant tree. As Tetsuo and Yosh chattered about girls, Tenoki leaned against the massive tree, Ryu close by. She did not move away for fear of revealing weakness, instead her muscles stiffened alertly. She was not accustomed to someone being so close...

Tenoki had long since noticed Tetsuo's getup; she could hear his twin katana clinking together softly as he walked from a mile away. He wore no shirt, she had found when he purposely bumped into her and made her feel his muscles as she put her arms up to grab him to keep from falling. Strapped around his waist were two belts, overlapping to form an X across his crotch, which he found most entertaining. The belts did, however, serve a purpose. They each held up a katana, which were strapped behind him, crossing over his backside and making it impossible for him to sit down without first rearranging them. Tenoki had noticed that he was not wearing them yesterday, the day of the written test. He must have known they would not do him any good; he did not need them to fight anyone. For once he had used his head.

"Listen up!" The woman who they had met yesterday began. "This is your second test of the Chuunin Exams." She gestured towards the huge forest behind her, a grin ear-to-ear on her face, as if she took pleasure in the crowd's extreme anxiety. "You will be spending five days and five nights in here.... This place is called Death Forest, for reasons you will soon find out. You're task: to get both a Scroll of Earth," She held up a green scroll in one hand, "and a Scroll of Heaven." She held up a white scroll in her other hand. "Each group will start out with one or the other. By the end of the five days you must have completed your task of getting one of each, by any means necessary," She smiled more at this, "and meet at the rendezvous point at the tall tower at the very center of the forest. Soon you will all be assigned a scroll, and then each group will start at a different entrance to the forest. Each entrance has a radius of five miles to the tower. Now go get you're scrolls!" She said happily. "Oh, and it probably isn't wise to show any other group what you have..."

Tenoki, Tetsuo, Yosh, and Ryu went to get their scroll. They had the Scroll of Heaven. Ryu quickly pocketed it before any of the other groups could even turn their heads to try and see it. It was decided then and there he would be the one to carry it. They all agreed without the use of words.

A Jounin stood by them, watching to make sure they wouldn't cheat or try to get an early start as Group Two of the Sound Ninjas waited at their gate. Tenoki lifted her left hand to her forehead protector, lowering it down over her eyes, getting ready. A loud buzzing noise told the Jounin everyone was ready, and before the gates sprung open all the way the four Sound Ninjas were inside the forest, pushing off of the ground and into the trees, where they lunged themselves from tree branch to tree branch.

They were each moving so quickly all that could be seen was the rustle of the leaves, only the sound of their feet hitting the limbs hearable, their bodies almost invisible.

"Not so loud, all I can hear is your big feet," Tenoki said in a hushed voice, trying hard to concentrate on not hitting anything. The loud footsteps helped her tremendously in feeling the vibrations through the bark and leaves, helping her navigate, but she also knew it would give away their position; a well-learned lesson from Mitsunari.

Her group listened and obeyed to her without argument, stepping lighter on the branches. They pressed on, straight foreword, hoping to get closer to the tower so that when they found someone with a Scroll of Earth they would have less distance to travel on the defense.

After what seemed like forever and a day of heading towards their destination, slowing down from boredom every few seconds, Tenoki came to a halt. Everyone stopped, turning to see what was the matter.

"What's up, Tenoki?" Tetsuo asked, coking his head to the side.

"_Sh,_" She mouthed, moving her finger to her lips, not making a sound. She put her ear against the tree she stood on, listening.

"...I hear... Something... I can't tell what it is... " She muttered to herself. Everyone watched her, waiting for the verdict as she continued to listen. "..It sounds like... Someone... I hear blades..."

"Should we go check it out?" Tetsuo's question was a rhetorical one, for he did not wait for a response before jumping off his branch.

"...I don't' know," Tenoki said too softly, for Tetsuo was pumped, and began running in the direction of the noise, closely followed by Yosh. Ryu shook his head, he and Tenoki followed.

"_Stop!_" She suddenly hissed. The guys all did, one right after the other. But it was too late. Tetsuo, in the front of the line, had stepped into the trap. Tetsuo tripped over a thin wire was stretched across the path in the trees, losing his balance and falling downward. The trigger set of the trap, and countless kunai were sent flying at him from all sides. As he plummeted down, he turned his head just in time to see the blades closing in on him, he couldn't dodge them.

With nothing but a curse under his breath, Ryu lunged at Tetsuo, slamming into him in midair. They were both in the line of fire. In a second Ryu, his arms around Tetsuo, formed a handseal in front of him

"_Ryuuta no Jutsu!_" He yelled, the tattoo on his right arm of a Chinese dragon changed to a blinding white fireball, and slithered off of him. In a split second it had grown more then twice its original size, and coiled around both of them, making a giant sphere of white. All the while the dragon sung his death cry, a hollow, sorrowful tune that echoed through the forest. As soon as the blades made contact with the dragon, he growled and roared, burning them instantly as is exploded outward with a deafening howl.

Tetsuo and Ryu slammed onto the ground, Ryu's tattoo slowly being burned back onto his arm, the scorching noises hearable by only the sound ninja.

"Damn, Ryu, why's everything you do have to be so... flashy?" Tetsuo joked, his way of thanking him. Ryu ignored him, his way of saying you're welcome, his pain visible in his eyes. He looked around, trying to find the source of the blades. Whoever set the trap wouldn't be too far away.

"Tenoki, found him yet?" Ryu said calmly.

"...Yes. Three o'clock," She answered, and before her sentence was done, Ryu had lunged to his three o'clock, a kunai in each hand. He had gotten whoever it was out of their hiding place, a girl in a blue short dress that buttoned up in the front was forced into the middle of their circle by the vengeful Ryu. Her brown hair was up in two buns, tied with ribbons. She looked around at all of them anxiously, trying to watch them all at once. She had a kunai in each hand also.

"_Lee! Neji!_" She called bravely, knowing that any sudden noise could set off the pack of wolves around her. As Ryu went in for the kill, his kunai raised, he was intercepted by a guy with long black hair.

"A Hyuuga?" Ryu grinned, up for the challenge. He knew all about the Hyuuga clan, and ever since he had heard of them had been itching for a fight with one, determined to find a flaw in their Byakugan.

The girl in the middle used this opportunity, running towards Tetsuo and striking only air around him as he dodged her first blade by fluke. It came inches away from his skin, as he ran to avoid more kunai she chased him up into a tree, cursing at him to hold still. Her blades were guided with chakura, making them near impossible to dodge. She threw another kunai with deadly accuracy; Tetsuo caught it before it could pierce his face. She threw another, this time he had to jump, his legs spread wide as he clung to a branch above him. The kunai was dangerously close to hitting him where he would least have anything touch him but himself or Tenoki.

A barrage of kunai were hurled at him from both of her hands, at least six or seven. Thinking quickly, Tetsuo formed a handseal in front of his mouth, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

"_Oto Miru no Jutsu!_" A pulse of visible sound was shot from his eyes that suddenly widened. The wave of sound in front of him was ear-splittingly loud as it expanded, hitting the row of kunai and repelling them. The girl was hit by the attack, her mouth opened as she tried to scream but couldn't be heard over the sound. She was thrust backwards, and caught herself on a tree branch after hitting it on her way to the ground. She tried to pull herself up, and stood on the branch uneasily, leaning on the tree for support. She could not stand by herself as her eyes tried in vain to focus on anything at all. She tried to throw kunai at Tetsuo, but he didn't even have to dodge them her aim and balance were so disturbed by the attack.

Getting annoyed with her, Tetsuo crossed his arms in front of him, reaching down to his waist where his twin katana were in their sheaths. His left hand grabbed the handle of the right sword, right hand grabbed the left as he pulled them out quickly, crossing them in front of him to negate another barrage of blades. He ran at her, one sword raised behind his head, the other dragging along the branches he stood on, as he attempted to bring them together to slice her in half.

She was so dizzy she had no time to dodge such a fast move. Her eyes were wide and scared as he was directly in front of her, the blades being brought together, one down into her head, the other up in between her legs. Before they could make contact, the sound of metal, hitting metal clanged through the trees. A boy with black hair and a green outfit on jumped in front of the girl, a kunai in each hand scratching against the blades of Tetsuo's swords.

"Lee!" The girl said, recognizing only a blur of green. Slowly he pushed the blades further apart and away from himself, relieving the danger he had put himself in to save the girl.

Tetsuo tried to close the blades down on the tall boy, but he had lost all of his momentum, and this 'Lee' was too strong. Quicker than even Tetsuo could react, Lee swung his arms in opposite directions like a windmill, forcing Tetsuo to be thrust from the branches, spinning until he regained his balance in mid-air and landed on his feet on the ground. He was crouched down, his swords out to the sides, parallel to the ground. Tetsuo was ready for him as he jumped down to attack him.

Lee landed in front of him on the ground, in fighting stance. He moved just barely to go in for the attack, but Tenoki appeared in front of him, and did a side kick to his chest that he had to block. He grabbed onto her foot, lifting her completely off the ground and with much force she was thrown sideways into a tree, her back hitting it and she fell to the ground.

The girl once again dropped from the trees, facing her original opponent. She had her balance and sight back, the effects of Tetsuo's attack only temporary.

"This one's mine, Lee. We'll see who's better with blades," She said, angry she had to be saved and determined to get Tetsuo back.

Behind them all, Neji faced both Yosh and Ryu. Yosh tried to run around him to help Tenoki, who nearly had the wind knocked out of her as she slowly stood back up. Lee was heading back towards her, leaving the girl to fight Tetsuo.

"Hold it." Neji said, in fighting stance. "You two are my targets... _Byakugan!_" The veins near his eyes protruded from his temples as he rushed over to the fleeing Yosh, his index and middle finger stood out from his fist rigidly. He jammed them into Yosh's shoulder near his neck before he even knew what Neji was trying to do. Yosh yelled out in pain, gripping his shoulder with his hand, and Neji punched him in his stomach. He flew backwards, falling to the ground.

He still yelled, curled in a ball and clutching his shoulder. Ryu Tried to go over and help him, but as he reached down, blue flames engulfed Yosh, his chakura being released all at once and draining before his eyes. Without hesitation or even giving himself time to look at Yosh to see if he was down, for he knew that he was, Neji was on the attack. The fight between he and Ryu was on. They had both lunged for the other simultaneously, Ryu dodging every attack by Neji. His chakura was visible in his hands, and Ryu knew to be careful and no matter what he wouldn't let Neji even touch him.

Their fight continued, Neji using his Byakugan to find Ryu's tenketsu and aim for them, Ryu successfully dodging every blow. He was on the defense, unable to find any openings at all to attack. If he took a chance and attacked, he could be leaving himself wide open for a vital attack. One good hit from Neji could mean death, and this he knew. He left the risk-taking stupidity to Tetsuo and Yosh.

At every swing of Neji's arms, Ryu was pushed back further from his group and into the forest. He wasn't concentrating on this, only on biding his time to prepare another jutsu, his arm recovering as they fought. What he had in store was one attack not even a Hyuuga could negate...


	10. Death Forest: Day One, Part Two

Sand and Blood

Chapter Ten

Death Forest: Day One, Part Two

_One fights for a cause...to not let his team down, ever..._

Ryu was no longer in sight of the others, he and Neji moving around so much as they fought. Tenoki was on her feet now, the location of everyone becoming very clear as she need listen for only a second. Lee was not facing her, and she took this advantage, trying to sweep Lee with both legs. He jumped over them without even turning to face her. His body spun in midair, using his leg to thrust his body around and kick her across her face. She didn't even have time to stand up before his foot made contact with the side of her head, the blow sending her flying across the forest floor until she skidded to a halt on her side.

Lee had obviously declared her as his target as he ran towards her with speed only comparable with Tenoki herself. She would have to show him what real speed was...

Yosh, lying on the ground, had finally stopped yelling. He was weak, struggling to push himself up onto his knees. With a sudden burst of energy he managed to get to his feet, trying to run towards Tenoki. The piercing sound of blades; one right after the other, sounded loudly as he fell back to the ground, four kunai in a perfect line going up his back, jammed in his spine. He lay motionless, paralyzed.

"One down," Neji said, mocking Ryu, taunting him for not being able to save his friend from the attack. Ryu had dodged it, Neji waiting until he and Yosh were lined up before letting them loose, misleading Ryu as to who he was aiming at. Ryu was furious, with Neji and himself, for realizing just a little too late who the attack was meant for.

Tenoki forced herself to recover quickly, for another attack from her opponent was already on its way, trying to get her down and keep her there. She jumped to her feet, leaning back and to the side to avoid a fist. She was now in Lee's blind spot, she grabbed his arm and tried to twist it forcefully backwards to snap it like a twig.

Her task was proving to be impossible, for Lee was ready for her, grabbing her wrist with his other hand, turning his body so he had the advantage. While she was distracted in trying not to let her arms get broken, Lee kicked the back of both of her knees with one leg. She fell to the ground and Lee sat on top of her, both of her arms twisted awkwardly behind her, liable to break if he twisted any harder.

Tenoki struggled, and managed to get one arm free. She used it to push herself off the ground and onto her knees, Lee still on her back trying to keep her down. The pain was rising in her other arm, she ignored it and pushed as hard as she could backwards with her one free hand, smashing Lee in between her and the ground. She pulled away, hurting her arm even more, so much that she let out a cry of pain as she reached for his leg. She put her toes on his heel, holding it in place and pushing it the opposite way of her hand, which pulled it towards her. She twisted his foot with all her might, trying to break his ankle before he could break her arm. They each yelled, cursing at the other as they let go simultaneously, and jumped away from each other.

They both were in fighting stance, facing the other. Tenoki was wary, concentration on Lee an the skills he had just displayed. He obviously fought with Taijutsu, and would definitely be the victor is she challenged him again with only physical skills. Next time she wouldn't get out of another attack so fortunately...

Meanwhile, Tetsuo faced his opponent in the trees, she held a scythe in each hand, a chain connected them together. She yelled out in anger, the scythes and katana clinking together with a deep metallic sound as the two battled. Neither was winning; a blade had yet to pierce either of them. They seemed to be evenly matched, it was now a matter of who had the most endurance and could keep this up the longest.

Tenten jumped upward and back, onto a higher branch. Her arms crossed in front of her, she yelled out as the scythes for the first time in their match left her hands. Tetsuo couldn't think fast enough to figure out how to dodge this quick attack, a scythe on either side of him, the chain the only thing that would seemingly hit him. With both his katana raised in front of him, he planned to cut the chain in half, his only option.

The blades on the end of the chain had passed him, no longer a threat. Suddenly, the scythes rapidly changed directions, and in the blink of an eye had moved in a circle around Tetsuo, causing the chain to wrap around him. The blades stuck into the tree, pinning him in place, his swords useless to him for his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He couldn't move. Tenten stood before him, grinning, watching him try in vain to break free. She would prove one and for all that she was better than this guy, he had nothing on her...

Tenoki, although distracted, could sense the impending danger on her teammate. Now was the time to show her opponent her real speed...

She crouched down, pushing off the ground and appearing in an instant in front of Tetsuo, blocking a deadly attack from his enemy. The kunai sent on a straight course to his throat was stopped as Tenoki grabbed it in midair. The kunai was moving so fast and she had such little time to prepare that she accidentally caught the blade, which soon became covered in her blood that splashed behind her onto Tetsuo's chest and ran down her arm. As fast as she had caught it, she threw it behind her. It hit the chain binding Tetsuo, breaking a single link, the entire chain falling limply to the ground. He shook it off him, spreading his arms wider to ready his swords, now made useful again.

Tenoki jumped straight up as Tetsuo charged, running under her in a collision-course for the unprepared Tenten, swords spread out to the side this time to slice her in half horizontally. She jumped up also, barely avoiding both blades as they sliced into the tree, cutting it clear in half. The top part of the tree slowly fell to the ground with a loud crash.

Tenoki was intercepted in mid-air as she tried to push off from the tree behind her to assault Tenten. She had known he would come for her before she had jumped in front of Tetsuo, but she was willing to risk a blow to her for her teammate's life.

Lee tackled her, knocking her off-course and they both fell hard to the ground, Tenoki cushioning Lee's fall. He grabbed her around the neck, pulling her roughly to her feet. Still in a daze from being knocked so hard to the ground, she grabbed a kunai in each hand, trying to get him to let go of her arm, and stabbed for his stomach with both. Her plan failed miserably, her intention of making him letting go of her throat to block the close-range attack turned against her. His hand stayed around her throat, as both of her wrists tightly held together with his other hand.

He lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling loosely a few inches away from the soil beneath her. She was starting to feel faint, unable to breath at all. The kunai fell from her hands onto the ground, Lee smirked, victory not far. With her hands so close together, Tenoki formed a handseal.

"..._Chi...yake... no jutsu..!_" She hissed, the last of her breath able to escape her lungs. Lee yelled, dropping her to the ground. She gasped for breath, a row of razor-sharp needles protruding from her neck. Lee's own blood was dripping down his hand, and covered the needles. Tenoki slowly stood up, the grin now on her face. She had found the key. Lee was a physical fighter. He couldn't touch her unless he wanted to get holes in him again. But for that, Tenoki would be grateful, for her Chi Yake no Jutsu, or, Blood Despair, wouldn't work without someone else's blood as well as her own.

The bandages around Lee's hand soaked up most of the blood, the rest slowly dripping onto the ground. He stared at her in shock as the needles retracted back into her neck, taking with it Lee's blood. She now had the advantage.

She pulled her arm back quickly, lunging at Lee and throwing her fist as hard as she could. Seconds before he blocked it with his arm, four needles shot out of her knuckles, lodging themselves in his arm. He yelled out in pain, connected to her until she pulled out the needles. Instead she tried to jam them in further, to get to his chest. He pushed back, grabbing her wrist and pulling the needles out of him. They slowly retracted back into her hand.

Tenoki faced her opponent in silence for a few seconds, forging up the blood and chakura to make more needles. Lee watched her, as she became surrounded in light blue flames. A single drop of blood dripped to the ground, sending a ripple of blood to Tenoki's ears. In an instant she was on the attack, the flames around her turning blood-red, as needles swiftly pushed their way to the surface of her knuckles once more. They were long and silver, and extremely sharp and deadly, like the open mouth of a crocodile waiting for just the right moment to strike it's prey...

She focused her chakura, trying to make it impossible for Lee to attack her anymore by making more impenetrable needles. They protruded from her back and arms; as she crouched down to hide her weak points she was invincible, like a porcupine there was no room to attack her. She ran close to the ground, swinging her arms at him, trying to get him down and keep him there. He nimbly dodged every swipe of her many claws. Tenoki knew her time was limited; she had to get more of his blood to keep this up...

Tenten and Tetsuo were fighting to the death, each determined to prove to the other who was the best. Both out of breath, they paused briefly in fighting stance.

"There's no way I can lose to a _girl..._" Tetsuo commented. What he meant to say was, 'there's no way I can lose _in_ _front of_ a girl...', that girl being Tenoki. As long as she was near, he couldn't lose. He could sense that she was starting to get the upper hand, and a man can't let his woman show him up, no sir. "_Tetsuo no Jutsuo!!!_" Tetsuo yelled at the top of his lungs, showing off his swordsmanship with tricky moves. He made like he was going to take another lunge at Tenten, at the last minute throwing his swords with crossed arms. She did the same, throwing her scythes once more. Tetsuo, refusing to get hit with the same attack twice, managed to jump over them, meanwhile Tenten being pinned to the tree behind her with the crossed blades. They barely cut into her arms and stomach, pinning her arms to her sides with is plan had worked.

Before he could even let out a laugh if triumph, a katana soared through the air below him, where gravity would force him to fall. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a branch below him, stopping inches away from the katana. It was right there again, yes, there, the place he'd not like sharp things near. The small branch he hung from was cracking, holding up too much weight.

"AH! No, no, no, no!!! Don't break, dammit!! I only got onea these!!! And two of those... But I can't risk to lose any of them!!! Not before they get a testdrive with Tenoki!!! NOO!!!" He plead to the tree. Second before it gave way, he reached down, and grabbed the handle, yanking it out of the bark. Tenten only smiled through her pain, knowing that now she had gotten him too. Another two scythes, with another chain connecting them flew at Tetsuo from the trees, catching him around the neck, shoulders and torso. His neck was bent to the side in an awkward way, the chain going across his forehead protector and pressing the side of his face into the tree. He clenched his teeth in pain, trying in vain to move his arms to try and break the chain. His feet dangled only an inch off the branch below him. He grinned.

"Looks like your aim is a little off... I win..." He said, trying hard to laugh let alone speak through his twisted vocal cords.

"Neither of us can move.... How did that make you win?!" She demanded, eyes narrow with rage and pain.

"Easy... I'm better," He stopped talking, focusing on breathing, which was proving to be a difficult task. Tenten faced him, grinning at his predicament. Suddenly her eyes widened, staring at something behind Tetsuo. He was not facing it, and could only hear someone's yelling.

"_LEE!!_" Tenten called, trying to move but immediately regretting it. Blood trickled down her arms and the sword's blades, but she did not care. She was too focused on what was behind him to take much notice. Tetsuo, breathing harshly, tried to look through the corner of his eyes. He heard Tenoki scream, along with the sound of blades slicing through skin. They were getting softer, their fight pushing them away from the clearing. Tetsuo froze, staring at nothing. His Tenoki... was in danger...


	11. Death Forest: Day One, Part Three

Sand and Blood

Chapter Eleven

Death Forest: Day One, Part Three

_Sometimes it takes a near-death situation to see who your real friends are..._

The sound of metal striking metal was loud in Tetsuo's ear. Suddenly the chains that held him against the tree became loose, and he fell to the ground, the chains gathering at his ankles. Tenten looked at him, her eyes wide now that she was defenseless against her enemy.

Yosh lay on the ground, three kunai in his back, a bloody hole where the last one should have been. Tetsuo threw the same, each of his kunai going through the ring at the top of the kunai in his back. They were ripped painfully out of him at an angle, and hung from a tree behind him on the ones Tetsuo threw. Slowly he began to regain use of his body as he pushed himself back to his knees at an even slower pace than before. Tetsuo ran towards Tenten, she knew she was done for. She knew right then that she had been beaten, he could finish her so quickly. Instead he grabbed his swords and yanked them out of the tree, releasing her. She dropped to her knees, she was shaking so much. He just looked down at her, eyes narrow, and took off in the opposite direction. He followed the sounds of the battle between Tenoki and some guy about to get it for even touching her. Tenten was speechless.

He ran until he saw them, fighting quicker than he had ever seen anything move. Lee was having trouble keeping up with Tenoki, but was proving to be a very worthy opponent for her. Tetsuo noticed she had spikes sticking out of her, mostly from her back and arms. Both of them were covered in blood; whose he did not know. Suddenly, Ryu and Neji appeared in the clearing, Neji using his Byakugan. Ryu had obviously been hit a couple times, for a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Tetsuo followed them all, trying to get to Tenoki but they were all distracted. Eventually, they came to a lake. The water was deep and dark; weeping willow branches dipping their leaves on the surface. The trees were dense here, and not much sunlight got through onto the forest floor, but a few patches that shone on the water an eerie orange. The sun was beginning to set.

A deafening roar turned everyone's attention away from their battles. Tenoki and Lee were frozen in front of the lake. Even Neji paused, staring at Ryu hesitantly, not sure whether to attack him. He was bent down, clutching his chest with one hand. A silvery white smoke was emitting from him as he gasped for breath. His arms were spread out at his sides, his fingers trembling, clenching then unclenching. He seemed to be shaking involuntarily. His eyes were fixed on the ground as he became ridged and stiff, his fingers the only part of him still moving. He seemed to be in pain. Yet he was grinning, an evil smirk on his face. He had lost control of his body.

With his left eye he stared at Neji, who stood his ground warily. Suddenly, a silent shockwave was emitted from his other eye, felt by everyone and heard only by Tenoki. The white hair that was covering it had been parted by the burst of power sent from his eye, revealing an open, wide, horrifying demon eye. Where the white should have been was yellow; his pupil a slit of black.. It pierced through Neji, his eyes got wide as he watched. His Byakugan could see it; Ryu's chakura was tripling, penetrating through his blocked tenketsu, which Neji had done not long ago. He was speechless his opponent could even move after his devastating attack.

The wind picked up violently, everyone's hair blowing madly as they shielded their eyes from the brilliant white light that shot out of Ryu's chest. The force knocked him onto his back. A huge, slithering dragon hovered above him, sticking halfway out of his chest. It looked like a white ghost, it's scales sharp and pointy, like a strike of lightning. It's body was constantly thrashing around bolts of lighting as if they were whips, slicing down trees and branches in single slashes.

Ryu did not move, but lay on the ground underneath the creature, his hands clenched tightly around blades of grass, his mouth halfway open with blood trickling from their corners. He was shaking even more. His one normal eye had rolled backwards in it's socket. He looked like he was possessed.

Neji backed away, towards where the baffled Lee stood near Tenoki. The sheer power coming out of nowhere had everyone in a trance, starring at the horrid beasts. Tenten had begun to run towards them, but gradually slowed to a stop upon laying eyes on the monster. Yosh stood not far from her, not even given enough time to get to them before the sight froze his muscles too.

The dragon leaned back, arching it's neck out foreword, growling and roaring loudly. He was facing Neji. In a flash of his blinding light, he lunged at him, his gaping mouth open wide enough to swallow him in one bite.

"_Neji! MOVE!!_" Tenten yelled from the sidelines, snapping him out of it. He managed to jump out of the way, the lightning sparking and whipping him across his side. He landed on his other side, sliding across the ground until he skidded to a stop near Tenten. The dragon kept his course, not altering it despite his target had moved. He continued in a straight line, like a mad dog set on only one course, unable to control himself. Lee stood paralyzed on it's predecided course.

Just then, Tenoki lunged at him from out of nowhere, her needles all retracted back into her body, except for one long one sticking out of the top of her wrist, aimed directly at Lee as it followed the track her fist set for it. As she neared the line of fire quickly, the dragon did not change it's course. Ryu's normal eye came back into focus as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The dragon gave out a ground-shaking roar and began struggling to commence his path dead on; like some invisible restraint was trying to hold him back. The dragon, seeing he would not accomplish his task of ripping them apart with his fangs, reached out a thick bolt of lighting, whipping Tenoki in midair so hard she let out a scream of pain, and was thrown hard at Lee. The force of the blow knocked them both far backwards, splashing into the middle of the lake.

Ryu yelled through the blood in his mouth, the dragon roaring along with him, as if they were one. In another flash the dragon was gone, pulled back inside Ryu, who lay on the ground motionless. His hands finally stopped shaking, and were no longer ripping up blades of grass or clenching. He bolted up, taking a giant gasp of air, as if he had just come up to the surface of water after nearly drowning. He choked up blood. Tetsuo dropped to his knees next to him, closely followed by a staggering Yosh.

Tenoki appeared at the surface, treading water and choking slightly, the force of the blow and sudden submerging into the water upsetting her breathing. Tenten kneeled by Neji, peering over the water anxiously, waiting for Lee to surface. Her eyes shot from Neji to the water, not knowing which one to concentrate on at the moment.

Lee splashed, breaking the surface from below it, vigorously trying to swim. A look of sheer panic crossed Teten's face. He was trying to make his way to Tenoki, who was spitting out water as she swam towards land. Lee acted as if he had never swam before, every few second being pulled under water, flailing back to the surface. After only a minute he looked as if he had been working out for hours, he was exhausted. Tenten stood up, Neji sitting up and watching in horror his friend struggling to stay above the water. It was as if there was some unseen force trying to pull him under. Tenoki was unaffected.

Lee went under, the surface of the water above him becoming still. Not even seconds after Lee was pulled under, Tenoki disappeared too, lost under the murky water. She was dragged under so fast she didn't even have time to scream. What was left of the unharmed two groups ran for the lake simultaneously, stopping in front of it and looking down. The shadow of the two sinking fast was disappearing before their eyes. Tetsuo turned and ran to a nearby tree. He found a long vine that hung, slashing it with his sword. As he ran back over to the crowd of allies and enemies, he tied one end of it around his waist, thrusting the rest into Tenten's hand, she being the least hurt out of all of them. Yosh was second, getting Tetsuo's plan, and grabbed onto the vine in front of Tenten. Neji complied without a word, and Ryu held it at the end, a pile of coiled vine at his feet. Tetsuo dropped his swords, readying himself to dive in head first.

He was stopped by someone grabbing his arm, yanking him backwards.

"That'll never work, they're sinking too fast, you can't get to them in time. Here, allow me," Neji said, squeezing a startled Tetsuo around his neck with one hand. He jumped up high into the air, using branches to propel himself higher as he dragged a yelling Tetsuo by the neck behind him. Once they had reached the tops of the tree, Neji grunted as he threw Tetsuo straight down with all his might. The force sent him up higher as Tetsuo flew towards the lake at a rapid pace. Once his body hit the water there was a huge splash, his curses and yellings ceased. The ripples on the surface eventually became still. Everyone watched, Neji landing back in his spot holding onto the vine. Everyone was silent, the vine burning their hands it was being reeled underwater so fast. But not one let go, lives were at steak, they could stand a little rope burn for the sake of their friends.


	12. Death Forest: Day One, Part Four

Sand and Blood

Chapter Twelve

Death Forest: Day One, Part Four

_To fight endlessly for the one you care about... That is true strength...._

Tetsuo dove at a rapid pace towards the shadows of Lee and Tenoki beneath him, his momentum from Neji slowly being lost. He had been gaining on them from the start, but now they kept sinking at a quick, steady pace while he unintentionally slowed down and forced himself not to surface, kicking madly the water above him. His muscles were tiring quickly from lack of oxygen and strenuous usage, but he kept on, deeper into the black pit enveloping him and the other two.

Tenoki held her breath, but slowly breathing out the further she was dragged down. If she didn't her lungs could rip, the pressure increasing more than her lung capacity could withstand. She had tried to kick Lee off her leg, but he was holding on tight with all his strength.

Under the water it was like Tenoki could see again. Sound traveled much faster through liquid. She could sense everything around her for miles, every fish, every plant, how far they had left to go before hitting the bottom of the lake, and even Tetsuo above her. He had dove in to save her...

A jolt was sent up Lee's arm and into Tenoki when his feet hit the bottom of the lake hard. He was near unconsciousness, the undercurrents of the water pushing him around gently and keeping him on his feet. His grip loosened and Tenoki felt Tetsuo grab her tightly around her waist. He yanked on the vine around him as Lee lost his grip, his hand sliding off her ankle slowly. As her body began to be pulled up, she reached down and grabbed his arm.

Above the water, everyone pulled with all their might, trying to get their friend's above the water before time ran out. No one spoke, the two teams did not argue or even look at one another. No one word had even been spoken when Yosh leaned back into Tenten, shoving her and stepping on her foot on accident. What was left of all their strength went into one thing, and only one thing.

Tenoki could feel Tetsuo's arms shaking as he held her. His hands were clasped in front of her, squeezing her around the waist. His head was pressed against her back as she leaned foreword, holding onto Lee's arm with both of her hands. Tenoki listened to their heartbeats. Lee's was becoming slow, but Tetsuo's was still normal, beating quickly, maybe because he was around her. She always thought he was joking, everything he said to her and when he went out of his was to run into her, touching her in places then calling it an accident. If it could still beat this fast without air...

As she listened she tensed up, his heart was slowing down too, and just like Lee his arms became weaker and loosened their grip. With whatever consciousness he had left, he removed one hand, clutching her with the other, and reached into his kunai bag. He pulled out a kunai, placing it in between her hands that held Lee, and laced his own fingers together. He shoved the top of his hand into the blade as hard as he could. Tenoki heard the blade pierce through one hand, crushing the bone, splitting out the other end and into his other hand. He clenched his teeth in pain, but soon after every muscle in his body became limp, including his arms. The only thing keeping his arms around her was the kunai that locked his hands together.

Tenoki could feel the same happening to her, she felt light-headed and about to black out. She was loosing her grip on Lee. She followed Tetsuo's example, and pulled out a kunai from the bag on her leg. With her one hand clutching Lee's wrist, she drove the blade into her own. It went through her arm and into his as she felt her fingers let go. Lee continued to be pulled up with them as she lost consciousness.

"Tenoki!" Someone yelled, choking and gasping for air at the same time. Tenoki woke up, hearing Tetsuo's voice. She lay on her back on land again, Tetsuo kneeling above her, shaking her shoulders with bloody hands. She jumped when his mouth touched hers. He leaned back, allowing her to turn to her stomach and choke out the water in her lungs. She was surprised when only one arm worked, she almost fell over on her hurt one. She must have done something to it, for she couldn't move her hand at all. She could only feel the warm blood dripping down it.

Her muscles gave out again and she fell into Tetsuo's lap. He held her, still shaking badly, his breathing rapid and quivering. She realized she was also shaking. The cool night air made the frigid water on her turn her muscles into blocks of ice. Yosh and Ryu were also kneeling next to them, Yosh with his arm around Tetsuo's shoulder to steady him.

Tenoki could sense Lee lying on the ground a few feet away; Tenten and Neji kneeling next to him as he coughed up water. Neji looked up at her, his eyes slitted and angry. Tenten also looked up, giving everyone in Tetsuo's group a bad look. The two stood up, and so did Ryu. He stared Neji down, the rage between them growing now that their friends were out of danger.

Yosh let go of Tetsuo after he was sure he could sit up by himself, and stood next to Ryu in front of him and Tenoki. In a second they had each jumped, and began to fight each other. Neji was switching between the tired out Yosh and Ryu at an unimaginable pace, leaving a window open for Tenten to attack Tenoki and Tetsuo. Despite Neji's wound in his side, he dispelled every one of their physical attacks, both of their chakura long gone. It was only a mater of seconds before Yosh had been sent flying backwards, his attack repelled back onto himself. Trying in vain to block his head from hitting a thick tree and breaking his neck, he threw his arm in front of him.

_CRACK!_ He fell from the tree onto the ground, his right arm's elbow bent completely backwards. Ryu held Neji back, but Tenten headed straight for Tetsuo and Tenoki, kunai in between all of her fingers. Tetsuo and Tenoki were both standing by now, all the water out of Tetsuo's lungs and he was ready to fight. He ran at the rushing Tenten with his swords bared, ready to finish their fight. With the swipe of her hands in front of her, the kunai were thrown out of Tenten's hands and sent straight towards Tetsuo.

He blocked them all with his swords, the kunai ricocheting off of his blade and falling to the ground at his sides. As he took a series of swings and thrusts at her with his katana, she dodged every one nimbly, flipping over him so she was closest to Tenoki. Tetsuo realized her intention and sped to get back in between her and his Tenoki, but he was too late. Kunai were on a one-way path towards her. In a dazed panic, Tenoki threw her arms up in front of her. They pierced clear through the bone, hitting her arms and shoulders. She immediately fell backwards, becoming drenched in her own blood.

Tenten was in the air above her now, and threw two kunai below her to the helpless Tenoki. Tetsuo jumped in front of her, stopping the kunai in midair with his sword again. They bounced off his swords before they could hit their target; her throat.

"_Stop!!_" A voice behind Tenten made her stop her barrage of kunai. She landed back on the ground and turned to face Lee. "...Ten..ten...stop it... don't kill her...she... she saved my life...." he choked out. Neji also stopped fighting Ryu momentarily, looking at the flustered Lee. He shook his head, pitying his compassion for the enemy, and went back to attacking Ryu.

With one well-placed hit to his chest, Ryu was propelled backwards, landing on his back and sliding back to where Tetsuo stood protectively over Tenoki. Yosh was not far, cradling his broken arm as he stood up and slowly made his way over to them. Ryu coughed up mouthfuls of blood that streamed down his neck and face. Tetsuo stood guard in front of all of his teammates, preparing for another onslaught from their tireless enemy.


	13. Death Forest Day One, Part Five

Sand and Blood

Chapter Thirteen

Death Forest: Day One, Part Five

_Even in the face of death, never, ever back down from your fears..._

"Lee... shutup. They may have a scroll that we need. You can't be so compassionate to your enemy. Let down your guard and your only doing what they want. They didn't save you on purpose. They only wanted to save one of their own, you just came with her." Neji said with a solemn face.

"...We don't have a scroll. It was taken-" Tetsuo began, elbowing Yosh gently. Yosh seemed to understand what he wanted.

"...Really? So soon?" Neji said cynically. "You're lying. I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Well, there's an easy way to find out who has your scroll,"

Reaching down to his immobilized arm with his good one, Yosh grabbed his other hand. He held them both up to his face, using his teeth to hold his broken arm's index and middle fingers upright to form a handseal.

"_Imeji kiri no jutsu!_" Yosh hissed through the two fingers held up by his teeth. Both his arms fell to his side, his eyes becoming completely white and bloodshot. He stumbled backwards until he leaned against a thick tree, on the opposite side as Neji's group. His head rolled back slightly and he leaned on the tree silently, not moving an inch.

"_Byakugan!_" Neji yelled, paying no attention at all to Yosh, his eyes fixed on Ryu, positive that he had the scroll.

"Which one is it, Neji?" Tenten asked calmly, waiting to hear who to team up on.

"_Kuso!_ None of them have a scroll! My Byakugan doesn't lie... That one _was_ lying!! ...hm?" Neji paused, his eyes fixed on the tree Yosh was behind. "That one!-"

"Has the scroll?" Tenten was ready to attack.

"No! He's... using chakura, after I attacked him and got rid of it all!" Neji was pissed. "Kill him! He must be using some kind of an illusion-" Before Neji was finished, Tenten leaped into the air, getting quickly to the other side of the tree and stopping in front of Yosh before Tetsuo could catch her.

"...Are you sure? He looks dead..." She raised an eyebrow, but wouldn't think of questioning Neji's Byakugan. She pulled out a kunai, aimed at his throat.

"_Yosh! Wake up!!_" Tetsuo yelled, realizing he couldn't get to him in time. Yosh's eyes came back into focus and he gasped for breath, his illusion dispelled as Tenten threw her arm back, kunai held above her head.

"There! I see it!" Neji ran for Ryu, seeing the scroll in his pocket now that Yosh's illusion was gone. Ryu couldn't move, the direct hit from Neji on his chest immobilizing him.

Tetsuo stood in the middle, a friend on either side of him about to look death in the eyes. Tenoki stood, blood running down her arms, and collided with Neji feet away from Ryu. She pulled out a kunai from her arm and jammed it into Neji's shoulder. They were at a standstill, each of them gripping the other's hands at shoulder-level, trying to force the other onto the ground.

Tetsuo ran for Yosh, his swords crossed in front of him. One of Tenten's hands was on Yosh's good shoulder, pressing it against the tree, his other arm hanging limply at his side. He was still trying to recover, his body frozen in place. She held a kunai above him.

Tenten glanced over at Tetsuo and smiled.

"I was hoping you'd do that," She reached the arm that held the kunai to the side, whipping it in front of her. Yosh yelled to Tetsuo that it was a trap, telling him to run. Tetsuo heard it behind him, the sound of a blade slicing through the air. He saw a thin wire in Tenten's hand that had pulled it. He could hear the blade cutting through the air fast, right behind his head. It was too late to duck.

The clang of metal-on metal was deafening behind Tetsuo's ears. He slowly turned his head around to see a man standing with his back to him, his white hair the first thing Tetsuo laid his wide eyes on. The blade Tenten had attached to the wire fell to the ground, a disgusted look on her face. She drove the kunai in her hand straight at Yosh's neck. The white-haired man was in front of her in the blink of an eye, grabbing her hand and stopping the kunai inches away from Yosh's neck. With one swift kick she was knocked backwards, disarmed.

By this time the struggling Tenoki and Neji had stopped, standing locked in each other's arms and watching. Ryu still lay on the ground, having trouble breathing. The white-haired man chuckled as Tenten rolled over to her knees, the wind knocked out of her. He strutted over to her, grabbing her by the roots of her hair and yanking her to her feet. He held a kunai to her throat.

"Let go of Tenoki and I won't kill her." He said calmly. Neji did not loosen his grip on her, nor did she try to struggle out of the headlock he put her in. One turn of his hand and her neck would snap.

Yosh, out of his frozen trance, rushed over to the fallen teammate of Neji, the one in green, Tetsuo guarding Ryu.

"If you don't comply you'll be the only one left of your team," Yosh said, his knee in Lee's chest holding him down while his one good arm held a kunai to his throat.

The white-haired man grinned again. "You all catch on quick, I'm impressed," He laughed, "Yet I can see none of you have let your guard down with me either," Everyone watched him cautiously through the corner of their eyes, which he found most amusing.

Realizing defeat, Neji shoved Tenoki away. Tenten and Neji rushed to Lee, knocking Yosh off of him. They each lifted him up, putting one of his arms on each of their shoulders, and carried him away. Lee was content, for Tenoki had spared his life when she could have let him drown. Neji was so mad he couldn't even look anyone in the eye.

"Lee! Why didn't you just take the weights off?! If you had none of this would have happened, and we might have been able to beat them if you hadn't incapacitated yourself, even if they did outnumber-!" Tenten's hysterical rant was cut off.

"Tenten! Keep your head on, it's only the first day. If we don't use our heads from now on things could get a lot worse!" They continued their retreat in silence.

"Ok, so who are you?!" Tetsuo demanded, helping Tenoki to her feet, her arm around his shoulder. Him nor Tenoki or Yosh took their eyes off him for a minute. The man continued to smirk arrogantly, using his index finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"...Ka....Kabu...to..." Ryu grabbed everyone's attention with his attempted speech through the blood in his mouth. The man stopped smiling, and strode over to where Ryu lay on the ground. He kneeled down next to him, only to be forced to back up when Tetsuo jumped over top of Ryu and stood directly above him, swords drawn and blood running down the handle of each.

"It's nice that you're so protective of your friends," Kabuto lowered his head in a respective bow. "But I mean you no harm." He pointed to his forehead protector, an for the first time everyone noticed it was a music note, the symbol of the Hidden Village of Sound. Tetsuo turned to Yosh, who told him it was no illusion. Tetsuo hesitantly backed away, but kept his swords in his hands.

"Why haven't I ever seen you in the village...? And why don't you have a group? ...Or... Are they hiding in the trees, waiting for the opportune moment to attack?!" Tetsuo began to make assumptions. Kabuto just laughed, shaking his head.

"You've never seen me in the village because I don't stay there much, most of the time I'm out doing missions with my group, or for Orochimaru-sama-"

"...Who's that?" Tenoki asked, not wanting to speak or to interrupt but finding that some of Tetsuo's obnoxious personality was beginning to rub off on her. To her surprise, everyone looked at her.

"He's the founder of our village...You don't know him?" Yosh asked, his good arm cradling his broken one again.

"Yeah, I knew you lived alone with my brother but sheesh!! He musta really been serious about his whole 'do not intrude on my plans leave them alone' thing. Up until you had to live with me, right Tenoki?" Tetsuo grinned stupidly, and for once, it was Tenoki who felt like the dumb one of the group.

"Anyways..." Kabuto continued, disregarding her statement, as if not wanting to get into the subject. "Like I was saying, I don't stay in the village much, and no, my group's not even taking this test with me. I've taken this test many times, I am only here to collect information and assist when needed." Ryu choked again, and Kabuto began to form handseals while he talked. Tetsuo held a sword at Kabuto, who pretended like he didn't see, or that he didn't care.

"...You sure are a possessive one, Iragi Tetsuo. I know your brother well; you obviously get it from him. He is one of the Jounins in my group. But when little Tenoki arrived he had to stay in the village more and more, and only do missions that could last a week or so at most. Right, Hari Tenoki?" His eyes turned to her as he finished forming handseals and his hands began to glow a soft blue. Tenoki nodded.

Kabuto held his hands above Ryu's chest, aware that he was being watched by three of the most untrusting people, yet he was confident that they wouldn't turn on him.

"What are you doing?" Tetsuo demanded at seeing Ryu's teeth clench in pain, his eyes shut tight.

"...It's....ok... Tetsuo...." Ryu said in a soft, harsh voice. "He's....a...."

"Don't talk, Ryu." Kabuto ordered.

"He's a _what?!_" Tetsuo said, his eyes fixed on Kabuto.

"A healer," Tenoki noted, staring at his hands. Kabuto praised her for her assumption, which was, unlike all of Tetsuo's, correct.

"And how do you know? Maybe he's really using a jutsu that will control Ryu and use him to kill us as a part of his twisted game!!" Tetsuo yelled in one breath, freaking himself out even more. Tenoki fell over onto her butt, letting out a sigh and squeezing her bleeding arms.

"Tetsuo! Get your head out of your ass and put down your swords," She hissed at him.

"No way! what makes you think we can trust him?!" Kabuto listened with amusement, his focus really being Ryu.

"Mitsunari has told me about you a few times, Kabuto... I know you can heal," Tenoki told him.

"You listen well, Hari, a talent that far surpasses anyone with substantial sight. Your family would be proud," Kabuto nodded his head to her slightly. "He also told me that you and I'd make a good couple," He added, smiling at her. Tenoki wasn't used to anyone but Tetsuo hitting on her, so her response was silenced by being caught off guard. Kabuto's remark only infuriated Tetsuo, however, and he growled through his teeth.

Kabuto still held his hands on Ryu's chest, concentration on him and ignoring Tetsuo. Ryu seemed to black out, for he breathed normally; taking slow, deep breaths, and his teeth were unclenched. Tetsuo's suspicions slowly began to disappear.

"Baka, why don't you put down those swords, he's one of us, Tenoki wouldn't lie-" Yosh tried to coax Tetsuo into letting his guard down from where he threw himself down on his butt next to Tenoki. Kabuto only chuckled.

"I'm sure he would if he could," Tetsuo glared at Kabuto, who leaned back, his hands stopped glowing as he stretched all his fingers out. "There, that's as much as I can do for Ryu now. He's out cold, and will be for a while. The attack from that Hyuuga could have killed him, but I'm sure his heart's going to pull through until after the test, when we can get him to a hospital." Kabuto stood up, facing Tetsuo. "Now, about you..."


	14. Death Forest: Enter Night

Sand and Blood

Chapter Fourteen

Death Forest: Enter Night

_It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody_

"What about me?" Tetsuo said rudely, his swords still held tightly in his hands. Kabuto walked closer to him.

"I mean... You're not going to protect any of your friends if you cant move your hands," Kabuto stopped in front of Tetsuo, who refused to back up and show weakness.

"I can move my hands..." He said defiantly. "Wanna see?" Tetsuo threw on of his swords to the ground, straining himself to stick up his middle finger at Kabuto.

"Well, you've certainly got a lot of spunk. You obviously didn't get _any_ of your brother's seriousness," Kabuto said, finding Tetsuo amusing. "Normally people like you are so protective and act stupid to hide the pain, either because you were the recipiant of something horrible or you did something you regret and can't stop thinking about it. Well, which is it?" Kabuto grinned, knowing he hit a nerve. Tetsuo froze, his arms at his sides and both his katana on the ground next to him. "I can see you'd rather not talk about it. So, are you going to give me your hands or would you rather just suck it up and force yourself to do handseals like your friend over here? By the way, that was amazing that you could do that with only one arm, I was afraid I might have had to jump in earlier than I did so many times, but you all kept surprizing me," Kabuto said, smiling.

Tetsuo was enraged beyond words. His muscles were tense, as blood dripped down his hands and off his fingertips. Kabuto looked him in the eyes, but Tetsuo's glare was fixed on the ground in front of him.

"Iragi Tetsuo... I can heal your hands, if you want-" Tetsuo gave Kabuto the most hate-filled glare any of them had ever seen coming from him, his eyes focused on Kabuto's like a needle.

"I am the Alpha-male!!!" Was the only thing he managed to spit out from all of the words circling his head.

"Oh? And do you, the Alpha-male, feel threatened by my presence?" Kabuto asked, intregued by Tetsuo's choice of words. He was enjoying himself, and it showed. "Now, it's time to be serious. Calm down, and since you so insist, I will heal your friends first," Kabuto walked over to where Tenoki sat on the ground, kneeling next to her. She said nothing as he gently picked up her hands with his.

Tetsuo took this as a personal threat to his masculinity, and within a second was in between him and Tenoki. Before he even had time to attack with a bloody fist, Kabuto placed his open hands on Tetsuo's quads for less than a second, rising to his feet and knocking Tetsuo far backwards. He sumersaulted along the ground until he stopped on his stomach. Kabuto calmly knelt back down, close to Tenoki.

He grabbed on of her arms, pulling it towards him and making her lean closer. She didn't fight him like Tetsuo, she trusted Mitsunari and knew who this was, she could sense it from the way he had described him. His movements and personality, no one could mimic everything about him so perfectly to try and fool them.

She could feel the wounds on her arms healing quickly, Kabuto must have had a lot of expirience. Slowly he ran his hands up her arms, the pain dissapearing as he did.

"Hey! _HEY!!!_" Tetsuo yelled, still laying on his stomach on the ground. He tried to push himself to his feet, but his legs wouldn't move. "What the hell?!" He shouted through clenched teeth, shuting his eyes tightly. "You bastard!!!" Tetsuo slammed his forehead into the ground, cursing and screaming threats at Kabuto.

Kabuto paid no atteniton to him, his hands continuing to slide up Tenoki's arms, pulling her closer to him. Tenoki stared into nothing, said nothing.

"LET GO OF HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!" Came a shreik from Tetsuo's direction as he struggled to pull himself along the ground with his arms, trying to get to where they sat.

"I wouldn't do that, you'll only hurt your legs more... " Kabuto didn't even look at him, the curses and threats still being called across the clearing. Tenoki sat frozen in place, being pulled closer to Kabuto until she was leaning on his shoulder. She completely forgot about the pain in her arms. She had never been this close to anyone, not counting Mitsunari, who was more like an older brother to her. But even he never...

She snapped out of it, wincing and pushing herself away from him. He sat still, cracking his knuckles and streaching out his hands and finger again. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He turned to face Tetsuo, who was flailing his arms madly at Yosh, who sqatted next to him trying to calm him down.

"I was only kidding. Iragi, just stay still and I can fix your legs easily. If you keep struggling you'll tear the muscle more, and believe me, that hurts like hell," He said smugly, which Tetsuo found even more aggrivating.

Kabuto strode over to the thrashing Tetsuo, bent down, and with one arm gripped him tightly around the neck, his curses and yelling cut off instantly. He yanked him up in the air, so his feet dangled an inch above the ground, his arms clutching Kabuto's wrist.

"I told you to calm down, Iragi." Their eyes met, Kabuto's impatient and Tetsuo's wide and astonished. Suddenly Tetsuo's eyes became dull and lifeless, the muscles in his arms loosening all at once and his arms fell to his side limply. Kabuto threw him back down to the ground, where he lay still.

"...What'd you do...?" Yosh muttered, eyes fixed on Tetsuo's seemingly dead body. His eyes were open halfway, staring at the moonlit sky and shadows of tree branches above him. His mouth was open halfway. The only way he was identifyable alive was his chest moving up and down slowly as he breathed.

"It's fine.... He's only in a trance, nothing serious, in this case..." Kabuto said, sitting down next to him, confident he wouldn't wake up and attack him. He healed Tetsuo's legs first, with no complaint whatsoever from Tetsuo.

Tenoki stood in the middle of the clearing, her arms shaking slightly. What did he do to Tetsuo? She sat down next to Ryu, who's breathing was normal now. She clutched his hand, all her concentration on the people behind her. She could sense how uneasy Yosh was, and how suddenly Tetsuo's heartbeat had slowed to an abnormal pace as soon as he hit the ground.

"What's wrong with him? What did you do to him..?" Tenoki asked, her eyes wide with fear. Yosh stared at Tetsuo, clutching his arm but not letting his guard down. Kabuto finished healing Tetsuo's legs, and turned to face Tenoki.

"Since my answer will most likely decide whether or not you all will start to trust me..." He pushed his glasses up his nose again, and sighed. "Like Ryu, I have mastered my own tecnique to... control people... But, whereas Ryu can only control their body, I can control both their body and mind... What I have done to Iragi is just a simple trance, like I told you... Nothing compared to the potential of this tecnique..." Yosh still watched Tetsuo, avoiding eye contact with Kabuto, who noticed what he was doing and smiled.

"You don't have to worry, I have no reason to nor the intention of controling you," Yosh loosened his grip on his broken arm a little, seeing no potential threat to himself or any of the others. "Tetsuo, give me your hand," Kabuto turned back to Tetsuo, who did so as he was told, like an obedient dog. Kabuto formed handseals and then began to heal both his hands.

Tenoki seemed to be in a trance of her own, her eyes fixed on nothing, as usual, but stared wide. Her heartbeat quickened as she clutched Ryu's hand harder. He did not stir.

"What's wrong, Tenoki?" Kabuto asked, feeling daringly smug with himself. Tenoki's breath began to get short and paniced, her eyes narrowing to confused and unprovoked slits. Within a second she had darted in front of Kabuto, making him jump back and let go of Tetsuo. He wasn't ready for the attack and didn't have time to dodge a direct punch to his face. He was thrust backwards, but caught himself. Yosh backed up slightly, not wanting to be too close to the unpredictable Tenoki.

"...What are you doing?!" Kabuto asked, wiping a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. Yosh stood up, and quickly ran to her side, putting his good arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her down. He spoke, but Tenoki heard none of it. Her attention was completely fixated on Kabuto.

Suddenly Tetsuo winced, his eyes wide and confused as he sat up quickly. He looked at his hands, which were healed. He looked up at Tenoki, who, at this point, was shaking slightly in Yosh's arm. After a dazed glance around, he began to question and demand answers, cusing out Kabuto. Nobody pain any mind to him or his threats. Tenoki walked over to Kabuto, leaving Yosh to clutch his arm. He was sitting up, alert this time and not smiling.

"...I..." Tenoki started, searching for words but finding nothing. She bowed her head sligtly in a half-hearted apology, her hands balled in fists to keep them from shaking. To her surprise, Kabuto grinned again.

"...It's ok, Tenoki. I understand why you..." He trailed off, slid his glasses back up his nose, and pushed himself up to his feet. He turned to face behind him, where no one was standing. "I know you can hear them, Tenoki. Why don't you go check it out? I promise I won't let anything happen to your team," Kabuto said with a solemn, serious face, staring her in the eyes. He bowed to show his sencerity.

The sounds of voices and people was distant but unavoidable, barely hearable over Tetsuo's shouts and confused babbling. Kabuto faught within himself not to punch him in the stomach. He had however, been giving permission from Mitsunari to use force if nessesary, been warned by him about his little brother. Kabuto did not want to do anything else to get on Tenoki's bad side.

With some hesitation, Tenoki dissapeared into the forest, knowing she couldn't just ignore the sounds in the distance.

"If you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming after you," Kabuto told her as she vanished.


	15. Death Forest: Night, Part Two

Sand and Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Death Forest: Night, Part 2

_Once deceived, it is hard to learn to trust again..._

Tenoki bolted from tree branch to tree branch, racing towards the sounds as quietly and stealthy as she could. Her speed was so fast anyone looking for her would have seen nothing but a blur. Tenoki began to slow as she neared the small clearing where the voices came from. She proceeded cautiously as the sound of yells filled the still night air.

Too many sounds were flooding her ears; screaming, yelling, barking, rustling, scratching, pounds all beating through her head. Without even thinking she came to a halt in clear view of everything, standing above the two groups as they battled. Within seconds the sounds had ceased and she immediately regretted getting distracted. The only persistent sound was the shrill wail of a dog barking.

Below Tenoki a boy with flaming red hair stood, his eyes locked on her, wide. They shook slightly. Sand was wrapped around a boy with short brown hair, covering his entire body but his face. He had been yelling in pain, the dog barking madly for him to be set free. A boy with a white jacket and black hair lay face-down on the ground, a small girl with midnight blue hair kneeled next to him, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Behind the red-haired boy was a girl and another guy, who had watched him without a word, in horror.

Every eye in the clearing was starring at Tenoki unblinking. Suddenly the brown-haired boy was dropped to the ground, the sands dispersing from around him. The dog stopped barking, racing to him as he choked out blood.

_No... It... can't be... _

Images began to flood the boy's mind, a film across his eyes like old photographs showed him the young, innocent girl years ago who now stood in front of him. Her high voice began to fill his mind, words he couldn't make out that whispered his name in the dark. He perspired, his hands clutching his pounding head as he clenched his teeth in pain. The memories wouldn't stop flooding into his head.

His eyes became bloodshot. In his memories she was crying and screaming, but why? She had abandoned him, taken away his last shred of hope and anything he had left to live for. He looked through the images that filled his head to see her, standing before him, tall and slender. She still had the scarf he had given her around her neck... And yet her forehead protector was that of the Sound Ninja. Something inside him swelled up, sheer rage took over.

"_Tenoki!_" The red haired boy yelled at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide with hatred. Tenoki gasped, hearing a sound she had not heard in years, a sound that flashed images in her mind as well, familiar but distant. The sound of millions of grains of sand chafing together was unimaginably loud and easily identified. It was headed straight for her, a wave of sand traveling faster than she expected.

Tenoki jumped out of the way just before the wall of sand smashed into the tree she stood on, ripping it from the ground and shattering the trunk into a rain of splinters and chunks of wood. She landed on another tree branch, almost losing her balance from the shockwave sent through the air from the attack.

"How could you! I trusted you! Never again will I be such a fool! Now... I'll... Kill you!" He yelled, screaming at her at the top of his lungs. Tenoki's blank eyes were wide with a confused fear. How did this man know who she was? How did he know her name, and why was he so mad? She could feel the killing intention in his chakura-infused sand. It was so strong she feared what might happen to her if she so much as touched it.

The shockwaves pulsed through the trees, ripping thick branches off trees and bending or knocking down full grown ones. Tenoki dodged every barrage of sand, every impenetrable wall with much difficulty. All the noise, there were so many sounds of crushing wood filling her ears she could hardly concentrate on anything. She missed many branches she was aiming for, unable to focus. The boy was yelling insanely, screaming at her for whatever it was she allegedly did. She lost track of everyone else at this point; the boy and his dog, the rest of his team and even the two standing motionless behind her attacker.

Tenoki was on the ground now, having fallen from the trees which were all but torn down. Suddenly the sands arose from the boy in a giant wave, straight for her. She turned to run, but it was coming at her from all sides. There was nothing she could do.

In a second the sands had wrapped around her legs, and slithered quickly up her chest. She fell to the side, knocked over from the inhuman force. Tenoki's screams could almost be heard over the boy's and the loud sands rubbing together.

"..._Ga...aaaraa!_" She screamed as her eyes began to swell up with red tears. She forgot about everything, Mitsunari, her team, Kabuto, her future... her focus was the past, her old instincts… Whenever she was in danger, Gaara would come to save her...

But he didn't come. The sands around her were squeezing her tightly, she couldn't move and struggled to breath, her sobs quick and harsh.

"_..Don't... No... Stop crying!_" The boy yelled, his own eyes vast and dry as a desert. He was shaking, his arms outstretched as he controlled the clenching sands. He watched the crimson run down her face, the same it always had when the other kids teased or made fun of her... the very same as when she walked into her house and saw all the bodies... The very same as when that man took her away...

No. It had been her decision, he was told over and over again. She didn't like him, she wanted to get away from him. The sands tightened and Tenoki and she screamed, her cries getting louder. The boy yelled at her to shut up and stop crying again and again, but she did not. She called out his name once more, until the sand clenched so tight he could hear a loud series of cracks. Her voice was immediately cut off by the sands covering her mouth and face.

Suddenly there was a loud, deep echoing rumble, like a distant crack of thunder. A small ball of pale blue electricity illuminated the dark clearing. It expanded with one mighty shockwave, taking with it all the sands around Tenoki. It halted around her crumpled body. Standing above her, crouched and with arms spread was Tetsuo, in the very center of the orb. His eyes were shut tight in concentration as he fought to keep his advantage, but it was fading quickly. He had managed to keep the sand outside of his force field, but it was fighting back with crushing power, trying to collapse his barrier.

His fingertips were beginning to shake, not able to maintain a constant flow of electricity infused with chakura. His muscles were tense and began to tremble under the pressure from the electricity and sand pressed up against his shield.

As suddenly as the shield had appeared it was taken away, Tetsuo's chakura completely used up. Without the force field to stop it, the sand began to pour in to their empty sphere. Before Tetsuo could finish his collapse and hit the ground, both he and Tenoki were gone, carried away by an unseeable blur.

Kabuto, with Tenoki over one shoulder and Tetsuo over the other, sprinted through the trees as fast as he could with the extra weight. The sand was hot on his trail, a wave crashing behind him, destroying everything in its path and leaving bits of trees strewn over the forest floor in it's wake. He ran the opposite direction of Ryu and Yosh, as not to lead their dangerous foe towards them.

The sand was gaining on them, trying to get on both sides of Kabuto and cut him off, trapping them all. Suddenly the sand stopped, stiff as a statue. He must have gotten just out of reach. Whatever had stopped him, Kabuto was grateful. All he could hear was the boy's screaming fading in the distance as the sands dispersed, and in the clearing the boy fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"_...Gaa...ra..._"


	16. Death Forest Day Three

Sand and Blood

Chapter Sixteen

Death Forest: Day 3

Tenoki awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. They were in a different place, Kabuto must have made them find somewhere safer to sleep for the night. Tenoki did not move, but listened. No one else seemed to be awake yet, everyone's breathing was slow and steady. Tetsuo was snoring.

"So, you're awake," Tenoki jumped at hearing a voice breaking the silence of her mind.

"...How did we get here? ...What happened?" She asked, trying to get up, but cringing in pain and falling back down.

"Don't try to move yet, I didn't have enough chakura to completely heal you last night... A good number of your bones were broken, I thought it best to heal the more dire ones..." Kabuto trailed off as a sudden flash of pain overcame Tenoki. She ran her hand down her leg, her bones were sticking out awkwardly all down her shin and both her ankles were bent to the side. "I'm glad you can move, your spine was pretty messed up, I was worried throwing you over my shoulder could have damaged it more..."

A rustle in a distant tree made Kabuto pause.

"Yosh,"

"I'm on it," Yosh was awake, too. What was wrong? Why hadn't Tenoki noticed any of this?

Yosh formed handseals, both his arms now working, and whispered a genjutsu. His eyes were closed this time, so others were unable to see them roll backwards. He was able to stay sitting up, his hands still together instead of falling backwards from a mad struggle to maintain his chakura. He was perfectly still, his chest moving so slow it didn't even look like he was breathing.

Tenoki's head began to hurt, slightly at first but the pain began to grow. She heard it too, there was someone coming. Everyone was silent. The footsteps got louder, closer. Three ninja ran right by, racing through the trees overhead. Tenoki tensed up, half from pain half from nervousness. Their footsteps began to grow distant again.

"Nope. Wrong scroll," Yosh whispered.

"How do you know?" Kabuto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't sound green," Yosh remained perfectly still until he was hit on the back of the head. "ow!" his eyes came back into focus to stare at Tetsuo. As soon as his illusion was broken, the built up pressure in Tenoki's head disappeared.

"Stop being such a lameo, dipshit!" Tetsuo sat up. Tenoki's insides jumped. She didn't even know that Tetsuo had been laying right next to her. What was going on? She had never, ever been so detached, so unobservant, so uncaring...

"You're lucky," Tenoki's thoughts were disrupted by a comment directed at her. "That sand could have killed you," Kabuto leaned back, and sighed. Sand? what was he talking about? Why...? It would never... "You owe your life to jackass, here," Kabuto once again cut off her thought process. "He might be a complete jerk off, but I'll admit he knows when to stop dicking around," Tetsuo stared at Kabuto with a raised eyebrow, unsure of how to respond to that

"...Three insults and a semi-compliment... I guess that's the best I'll get," He shrugged. He seemed to be less uneasy around Kabuto. Maybe he had finally accepted him. He did, after all, save both of their lives.

"Yosh, Tetsuo, you two go down to the river and get us some food. We've only got three more days, counting today, and I need to heal Tenoki before we move,"

"Three? ...don't you mean four?" Tenoki muttered.

"...Ah, no. You've been out cold for the past day. It wasn't your fault, I wouldn't allow you to wake up then, it would be too painful," Tenoki didn't even hear Tetsuo and Yosh leave, her legs were hurting so much. Could the pain have been any worse than this? "I'm sorry, I should be healing you right now," Kabuto said, formed some quick handseals and then placed his hands on her legs. Tenoki winced.

Ryu sat down next to her, and put his arm around her shoulders to keep her calm and steady. Kabuto nodded in a slight bow to him, which he returned. Tenoki clenched her teeth in pain, but the crushing pain was slowly lifting. She let herself be held by Ryu's firm grip. If Tetsuo were here, he'd surely be having a fit.

A few minutes that felt like hours later, Kabuto stopped, the blue dim glow fading from his hands.

"That's as much as I can do for now, Tenoki," He sighed. "I don't want to use us all of my chakura. They might be sore, that's all." Ryu let go of her as Kabuto leaned back against a tree. Tenoki finally eased up, the pain almost gone. She rubbed her legs, no more broke bones or twisted ankles.

Suddenly Tenoki threw her hands against the sides of her head. Her headache was coming back, but only on her right temple, the direction of the river. Her neck winced to the side.

"Tenoki, what's wrong?" Ryu said in his usual rough, deep voice. She had almost forgotten what he sounded like.

Tenoki kept her hands on her head, shaking it slightly back and forth. Kabuto was the first to put the pieces together. He knitted his brown in concentration, as if trying out the variables in his mind to make sure his theory was correct. He muttered something about Yosh and his genjutsu, all of which went right over Tenoki's head.

"...Tenoki?" She snapped out of her trance, her focus Kabuto's voice. "Is that right?"

"...What...?" She moaned, her eyes shut.

"I said..." Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, an irritated look on his face from having to repeat himself. "...Since you can't see Yosh's illusionary techniques, they have a different affect on you... Am I right?" He asked, not expecting a response. He knew he was right. "Of course... Well, that might be one thing I can't heal..." Kabuto paused again, his eyes fixed on the ground. "...I doubt he's using illusions on our food... _kuso!_" In a second Kabuto had jumped up, sprinting in the direction of the river.

He jumped directly into the clearing, and stood before a group of three opposing Tetsuo and Yosh. The one in the front had golden hair and a bright orange outfit. Two stood behind him, the pink-haired girl cowering behind a boy with jet black hair. They were each looking above the entranced Yosh, his eyes shut and as still as stone with his hands in front of him forming a seal. Tetsuo stood back, watching, waiting for his que to attack.

The three stared up at the monster, the giant head of a beast that watched them with two terrifying eyes. It's eyes were yellow, a black slit down the middle of each. It growled softly, air hissing around it's fangs, each as big as a human. The scales on it were sleek, pure armor. The dragon advanced foreword, the three instinctively backing up. As is neared them, trees fell in it's wake, the earth parted, a crack opening into the fiery gates of hell. It's mighty tail chopped trees to the ground without a breeze.

Kabuto could tell Yosh was concentrating too hard, by the way the girl screamed and cried, by the way they all looked ready to run with their tails in between their legs. He could tell by the quivering hands of Yosh, his eyes shut tight, knees trembling slightly, beads of sweat beginning to form on his face.

"Yosh, take it easy! Don't overdo it..." Tetsuo had noticed, too, trying to warn his friend. Yosh didn't hear him. The boy in front did, and looked around for the source of the voice. The boy in orange threw a kunai, which the dragon swiftly ducked under, roaring into the sky with such an ear-splitting screech they each threw their hands over their ears.

"Tetsuo do it now..." Yosh muttered without moving an inch.

Tenoki could feel the vibrations cutting through the air like glass. Yosh was manipulating sound waves into someone's head, even though she couldn't hear what she could feel the difference in wavelengths. It was powerful indeed... Manipulating sound waves was difficult to master. Ryu forced Tenoki to stay still. She didn't realize she was trying to get up.

Tetsuo ducked in, sword drawn above his head. The boy in orange's eyes were locked above him, his muscles frozen. He wouldn't even see the blades until they were deep inside him.

Tetsuo thrust the sword down, towards the boy's head. The sound of metal-on-metal could be heard over the screams of the monster.

The boy fell backwards, the pink-haired girl stood above him with two kunai in her hands, the knives crossed as she struggled to keep Tetsuo's sword in the air. He quickly drew the other one. She jumped back, unable to fend of both at once, and pulled her partner to his feet. Yosh opened his eyes, and gasped.

"Sakura!" The blonde looked around confused. "Where'd it go? Where'd it go!"

"It was an illusion, Naruto, get up!" Sakura turned to him. Suddenly Yosh, teeth clenched in anger his spell was broken, ran up past Tetsuo, grabbing one of the swords out of his hand and thrust it into Sakura. Blood poured out of her stomach, down her legs, all over the grass. Naruto stared with wide eyes as a trickle of crimson escaped the corner of her mouth. She made no sound. The blonde boy only screamed her name, over and over.

"Naruto! _Move!_" Came her voice, but not from her body. Her open mouth had not formed the words. He was slammed to the side and fell to the ground. He looked up to see Sakura at his side, unharmed, both swords in Tetsuo's hand, neither stained with red.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto! Stop falling for the illusions!" She hissed at him. The black-haired boy croutched in front of them.

"_Sharingan!_" Yosh cursed as the boy's eyes turned blood-red and stared straight into him. Kabuto and Tetsuo were in fighting stance, ready to take over for Yosh.

Clouds of dark gray began to sweep over the sun as Tetsuo's swords sparked once. Twice. They were crossed over the other, creating a circuit for his chakura through the blades, his arms and body. The hair on the back of his neck was on end as he shivered once, getting used to the current running through his body.

Two red eyes were locked on Tetsuo, trying hard to figure out what he was doing. Suddenly Tetsuo lunged. As he yanked his swords apart they sparked again, making a loud zapping noise like a blown fuse. The two blades began to glow a dim reddish, held back and ready to strike.

Without removing his hands from the handles he flicked each around so the blade was coming from the bottom of his hand, opposite his thumb. They were above his head, swords like two fangs about to tear into the black-haired boy.

He dodged back slightly in order to avoid the hot metal. The blades weren't aimed for him. Tetsuo jammed them both into the ground on either side of the boy, let go and formed handseals all in one swift motion as he jumped back.

"_Chusha denki no jutsu!_" Tetsuo's voice was overshadowed by a clash of thunder as the clouds parted to reveal a bolt of blue lightning, guided to the ground by the two glowing metal katana. Sasuke couldn't dodge the unbelievably fast shock that was attracted by the lightning rods on either side of him. The blue flash struck him directly, he yelled out and crumpled to the ground, twitching.

"Sasuke-kun!" The pink-haired girl yelled. The katana were left smoldering upright in the ground, they were glowing, burning a hot metallic red just daring someone to touch their scalding surfaces, an invisible aura of distorting smoke arose from the blades slowly, giving the appearance the blades were melting.

For a second no one moved; Tetsuo, Yosh and Kabuto stood around the three in their opposing group now kneeling next to Sasuke. The Sound Ninja paused, waiting for them to make a move, planning retaliation as their two able opponents kneeled between the two scalding metal rods of death, despairing.


	17. Death Forest: Day Three, Part Two

Sand and Blood

Chapter Seventeen

Death Forest: Day 3; Part 2

Tetsuo held his shaking arms in front of his body as he stood back, hunched over and watched Sakura fall to her knees next to Sasuke's crumpled body. Suddenly she turned to look at him over her shoulder. Time froze for a split second, her eyes menacing as they pierced into Tetsuo's. Without hesitation she screamed, reaching for one of the swords on either side of Sasuke's motionless body.

Her screams of hatred were instantly replaced by screams of pain. She pulled her arm back, the entire inside of her hand she had touched the sword with was red and blistered. A soft hissing noise sounded as she clutched her burnt hand with the other.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled in response to her cries. Tears of pain and hopelessness were streaming down her face.

Tenoki almost couldn't hear Tetsuo as he began to fall forward. Without thinking she jumped to catch him, her entire body jolting foreword before she could even realize what she was doing. Something slammed into her hard. Tenoki tried to get up, but someone held her down.

"Tenoki! Stop it! Leave him..." It was Yosh. As tired and worn out as that last genjutsu had made him, he still wouldn't let her near the trembling Tetsuo. His muscles were twitching and having spasms. "Trust me, if you touch him now, you'll regret it," Yosh whispered to her, his breathing heavy. Tenoki calmed down, letting him hold her on the ground, partly from exhaustion and pain, party from a terrible feeling coursing throughout her body that she just couldn't shake. It made her nervous, but she was just glad to have someone she trusted nearby.

Trusted? Did she really trust him? Did she really trust any of them? Tenoki didn't have but a second to think before she was jerked off the ground, and up into Yosh's arms as he pulled her away from a barrage of kunai. The boy in orange hadn't given up. Sakura was still mourning next to their fallen comrade, who hadn't moved an inch. She was drowning in her own pool of tears and despair.

Why hadn't Tenoki heard those kunai? She should have had plenty of time to react, the boy in orange was letting emotions interfere with his fighting techniques, and instead of being tactful he was just being dumb. Who would risk such a stupid attack like that? The sad thing was it would have hit home if Yosh hadn't moved her.

"Tenoki! What's wrong?" Yosh hissed in her ear as he carried her in his arms to safer ground. His eyes were on Tetsuo's shaking body, still not recovered from his attack. If not executed right, the lighting was very prone to effecting or even killing anyone near it. The swords used as lightning rods can only control the lightning so much, acting as an amplifier. The rest was up to Tetsuo's chakura.

Yosh stopped at the edge of the clearing, putting Tenoki down not far from the action. Ryu and Kabuto were standing guard on either side of Tetsuo, careful not to get close enough to be shocked. Tetsuo could take it without their help. It was, after all, his own chakura; a bolt of lightning coursing through his body. It was up to him and him alone to control it.

It was now three against one, Tenoki and Tetsuo both on the ground. The blonde boy stood alone, his team mates behind him.

"Look; you can make this real easy for all of us and just hand over your scrolls," Ryu could sound very threatening when he wanted to. His voice was low, harsh, but remained calm. His white hair had moved away from his face, blowing in the breeze. One look into his yellow eye and it became evident he would rip out your throat without hesitation. There was something else behind the slit of black pupil in that eye; something unlike him at all. It was a monster, the dragons he housed each peering out at once, eagar for him to release them again. Their hunger for blood washed around Tenoki like a giant wave filling up a small room. She felt as if it were knocking her around, the sheer power threatening to drown her. It knocked the wind out of her.

No one noticed Tenoki's detachment from what was going on. They were busy fighting. The blonde boy was brave, he fought all three of them single-handedly. But no matter how many Kage Bunshin no Jutsu he made, or how many kunai each of them could throw, he was done for. His emotions were blinding him even more from the illusions of Yosh. He was throwing kunai at trees and not even realizing it.

Tenoki felt herself stand up. The only other person in the world she felt was Tetsuo. He was still lying on the ground a few yards away, and his muscles were still convulsing. Was his pain supposed to last this long? She could hear him breathing deeply and quick, trying in vain to get a full breath of air. They were fighting awfully close to him. She walked towards him, disregarding everything else. A sudden sound made her freeze. The blonde boy spat blood onto the ground. They were going to kill him.

He stopped just over Tetsuo's fallen body, a kunai held above Tetsuo ready to throw into him. "I'll get revenge for Sasuke..." He hissed. Before he could even let go of the blade Tenoki sensed a few more slicing the air, on its way to the boy's chest. Someone screamed as Tenoki rushed in front of him. Four kunai jammed into her chest and stomach. The boy backed up, his kunai falling harmlessly to the ground.

"Tenoki!" One of her teammates yelled. With the blood pounding in her ears they all sounded the same. She bent over, falling to her knees in front of Tetuso. He wasn't moving anymore. The world became nothing but spinning and voices calling to her from far away. She felt as if she were falling, down, faster and faster. She collapsed on top of Tetsuo. His body pushed the kunai into her chest further. In one final tremendous jolt of electricity induced by the metal stabbing them both, their bodies pulsed as one, the shock slamming their hearts back on track like a defibrillator.

The screaming and shouting got louder in Tenoki's head, as if it were getting closer. Then as it faded away, Tetsuo looked up at her. He gave her a look someone might have given after just having sex; complete with a content sigh. But they had shared something even closer than sex; a brush with death. Tenoki could only hear one heart pounding, a single beat between them both before she blacked out.


	18. Indefinitely

Sand and Blood

Chapter Eighteen

Indefinitely

_Lonliness leads to dependance...Dependance leads to trust... Trust leads to obsession... Obsession leads to lust..._

Tenoki awoke in a room, no trees, wild animals or danger looming around her. She heard nothing but the low humming of electronic devices, the steady whirr of the machine at her bedside, and a slow beeping noise, slow and monotone.

She couldn't even move get up. She could still feel the tinge of electricity, as if it were still coursing through her body. It still felt as if somehow Tetsuo was right there with her, touching her. She could still feel the cold metal that held them together. She moaned, not sure if her voice would work. Her throat felt pinched as she tried to make a sound.

"Tenoki, it's okay..." As if they appeared out of thin air, someone was at her bedside. She imediately jumped, trying to get up. Someone pushed her back down and held her there. "Tenoki!" The voice was harsh and angry, full of held-back tears. She relaxed and let Mitsunari hold her down. Sighing, she dared to speak again.

"Mitsunari... Where am I? What happened with the exam?" She said, her voice sounding faint and soft even to her.

"It's okay, like I said. The boys did fine. You and Tetsuo have been unconsious for three days,"

"So what happened in the exams?"

"They switched off who carried each of you. They got the scrolls from him,"

"Him? That boy.. the one who I have to-"

"Yeah. Keep your voice down, we're in a hospital-"

"Where's Tetsuo?" Tenoki asked, cutting him off once more. Mitsunari paused. She didn't have to see him to know he was staring at her.

"He's right there," Mitsunari didn't motion, he knew that was pointless. As soon as he said it she could hear another set of lungs breathing in the room. She didn't hear another heartbeat, only hers and Mitsunari's.

Tetsuo was lying down on a bed next to Tenoki's. He hadn't woken up yet. "What happnened in there, Tenoki?" Mitsunari broke her train of though. She still couldn't hear a third heartbeat. Asleep Tetsuo's heart matched her own, speeding up to match her frantic pulse.

Suddenly Tetsuo awoke with a jolt. He sat up, eyes wide. "What the fuck!" He blurted before even looking around the room, clutching his chest. He calmed down a little after seeing Tenoki and Mitsunari. "...Where the hell are we?" Mitsunari sighed, and explained for a second time that the exam in Death Forest was over. Tetsuo lied back down, eyes watching the cieling.

"Can we leave now?" He asked imptiently, frowning at nothing in particular. Mitsunari sighed, and called for the nurse to come get the IVs and oxygen masks off them.

Ryu and Yosh had left to go train in the forest with Tetsuo. They had asked Tenoki to come along, but she declined. Mitsunari made them go without her, despite their protests. She now sat on the edge of his bed at the same hotel room Konoha had given them to stay at, knees pulled up to her chest and arms clasped around them.

"Tenoki..." Mitsunari started to speak but paused.

"Where's Kabuto?"

"He's on misson right now. He told me what happened, uh... from a.. medical point of view. I'm sorry, Tenoki," He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She didn't make him move, he was the only person alive she had ever let this close. Except maybe for him... But that was a long time ago. "I'm glad I sent Kabuto to look after you all. He told me... After you faught that boy from the Sand Village..." This was the first time Tenoki had seen Mitsunari at a loss for words. A rare occasion. Normally she would tease him about it, but she just didn't feel like it now. He was trying to get something off his chest, and however long it took she would sit there and wait for him to say it.

"I noticed it, too, in the hospital. But Kabuto tells me it was much worse than that..." He sighed. "Tenoki, you've never been so... unaware... of whats going on around you. What's wrong?" Tenoki considered this for a long time. It was nothing she could put into words. There was too much to talk about, too much she didn't want to say, even to Mitsunari. The sand... Why had it attacked her? She felt like a part of herself had been suffocated by the wall of sand trying to crash down onto her, a part of her past resurfaced that she didn't know what to do with. A missing piece of a puzzle she didn't know where to place. And not only that, but she was starting to put her trust into her group, incuding Kabuto. She had never, and promised herself she would never, trust another again. Mitsunari was the only one who had managed to break this barrier so far, and the fear of others getting in was overwhelming. She couldn't remember a time where Mitsunari hadn't been there.

"Tenoki?" Mitsunari said hesitantly. The look on Tenoki's face told him she was deep in thought. She came out of her thoughts reluctantly and listened to him. "I'll give you some time to get over the shock of whatever's wrong. You know I'll always listen. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me," He closed his patiently eyes as he spoke, tired from being up for days on end with her at the hospital. Tenoki bowed to him to show she appreciated his patience. "But... You know our mission still remains. I am proud of you, don't forget that. And it's an especially good thing you saved him. You know what must be done, but I think we should have a little more one-on-one training before you do. We still have a few more nights until the full moon. If you get the wrong person... Well, you know what will happen. It's imperative that we train hard and be prepared for this. We'll sleep tonight and begin training first thing in the morning." Mitsunari's words sounded apathetic, deep and a little harsh, but Tenoki knew that only meant he was dead serious.

"Of course, Mitsunari-san..." Tenoki responded respectfully, bowing her head slightly. He removed his hand from her shoulder and stood up, streaching. As his hands reached for the cieling Tenoki grabbed him around the waist, pulling him into a hug. Caught off guard, it took him a second to put his arms back around her shoulders. Mitsunari smiled, knowing that he could count on Tenoki to get over whatever it was she held locked inside her mind. That one hug told him more than words ever could.

Tenoki squeezed him tighter, not letting go until he gave in and sat back down. She let her arms rest limply around him. Mitsunari let her lean into him, a comforting arm staying put around her. "Tenoki-chan, what's wrong?" He asked, not used to her acting so clingy and caring. Slowly she lifted her face out of his chest and turned her head up to face his. He stared into her blank eyes, so full of some distant emotion he had never seen in them before. He brought his face closer to hers , closing his eyes. Maybe if he couldn't see the world, or rather, see the world as Tenoki did, he could feel what she was feeling right now.

Mitsunari put his hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair. She let herself be slowly pulled closer to his face, until his breath was warm on her lips and sent chills down her spine. Before she knew what she was doing her lips pressed against his. All she was aware of was him, nothing else mattered. She had trusted him all her life, and there he was, the closest she had ever been to anyone. And she loved him, the kind of love that she had only offered to one other person in her whole life. Nothing frivolous; deeper than the very bottom of the ocean, meaningful. Right then she knew she would die for him without even giving it a second thought.

She was lost in him, and until he pulled away had forgotten everthing else. She let go of him and let him stand up. It was the closest to an awkward moment Tenoki had ever felt around him. Not much, but it was there. He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead, back to playing the role of guardian. "Good night, Tenoki." His words seemed to finalize his actions. He didn't want to go further, and neither did Tenoki. They both knew it. Tenoki felt safe with him, no matter what he did. She might not have protested, but...

"Good night, Mitsunari-san," She said his name as if recieving another command, a gesture that showed he was in charge and that she was submitting. He smiled at her, for all the good it would do, and she felt his warmth fill the room once more. She turned her back to him and faced the wall as she slept, letting his calm breathing and heartbeat lull her to sleep.


	19. Holding Back a Monster

Sand and Blood

Chapter Nineteen

Holding Back a Monster

_There's a beast inside everyone, wanting out... How much one can control it determines one's strength._

The sun filtered through the heavy curtains in their small hotel room. The noise from the room below them pulled Tenoki from her sleep. It was just their luck to get a room right above the Three Musketeers. The noise coming from their room was so loud it could wake the dead. Mitsunari grumbled as he pushed himself off the bed and onto the floor with a crash. Not a morning person until he gets to his feet, then he's fine. Just those few seconds when you wake up and have no idea what's going on, that's where the problem lies for him. He gets up before he's completely conscious.

"What the hell...?" He muttered as he stood up and looked around the room. It took him a few seconds to realize that they were in a hotel, then everything came flooding back. "Dammit..." He shook his head and strode over to the window, opening it with one hand. Without thinking he jumped, grabbing onto the ledge of the window under them. Tenoki heard him yell and curse out his younger brother and the others, and them shouting in shock as their window was shattered. She heard Mitsunari sock Tetsuo in the face, and Yosh and Ryu hold him back before he hurt himself by trying to get even. Tetsuo should know by now not to screw with Mitsunari in the mornings.

Mitsunari came back into the room through the front door, as if nothing had happened. As he closed it behind him and looked around, Tenoki was gone from the bed and stood at the open window. The breeze gently brushed her hair from her face as she stared at nothing; eyes fixed on the tops of the distant trees. Mitsunari went and stood by her, wishing he could see everything the way she did.

"Beautiful sunrise..." He said to her, gazing out over the forest that looked like it was on fire the morning sun was so bright and orange. Tenoki made no acknowledgement he had even spoken. He sighed, closing his eyes, and tried to forget about the sunrise. Forget about everything he needed his eyes to see. He focused on the wind blowing the trees, the leaves caught in an updraft, every single movement outside. He was interrupted when Tenoki nudged his shoulder. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her. Words were not necessary, they never were.

Moments later, they were both on their way out to the forest. They had snuck out to avoid Tetsuo; he would surely want to train with them, and only disrupt Mitsunari's plans.

Once they were out deep enough into the forest; miles away from the town or any other ninjas in training, Mitsunari stopped. Tenoki followed his lead, standing still once his footsteps ceased. A sudden noise in the nearby trees alerted Tenoki. She almost attacked it, had Mitsunari not been so calm. Kabuto jumped into the clearing, grinning.

"Hello, Tenoki. Glad to see you're ok," They each bowed their heads respectively to the other.

"Ok, Tenoki. We've been talking," He said, referring to Kabuto who stood at his side. "Today Kabuto and I have thought of a new mission for you. It's quite different, but I think it is necessary," Mitsunari said, handing over the conversation to Kabuto.

"It was hard to miss your... issues... in Death Forest. I don't know what spooked you so bad, but we have to all make sure the plans don't fail. And in this phase, you have to succeed or else we'll be found out. An all-out war could occur if you fail," Tenoki nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of her cooperation.

"Your objective is, basically, to defeat Kabuto," Misunari told her as if it would be a piece of cake for her. "He'll try to mimic you target's fighting style as much as possible. Fight until one of you is either dead or damn close to it. Be ready to deal with obstacles," He pulled out something small out of a bag tied around his upper leg. Two black, thin wires, each with a tiny mike at the end were attached to a small device. He handed the object to Tenoki, turning it on. It played music so loud it could be heard by the sound ninjas without it even being close to their ear. Much to Tenoki's dismay, he put the two mikes in her ear and the device in her pocket. She cringed as the music blasted in her ears.

"You need to learn to focus again, Tenoki." Mitsunari didn't raise his voice at all for her. She struggled to listen past the music, but was finding it difficult.

"...Can I turn it down...?" She whispered hesitantly, unsure of she should ask and unable to hear her own voice. Mitsunari took one of the headphones out of her ear and put his face near it so she would be able to hear him easily.

"No. Learn to deal with distractions." And with that he pushed the mike back into her ear. He backed up, his comforting smile from last night completely gone from his stern face. He backed up, and in an instant vanished into the trees. The only ones left in the clearing were her and Kabuto. He watched her, his face turned down. The music in her ears was deafening. She didn't even sense Kabuto jump at her. By the time she had reacted he had knocked her to the ground; the first hit was his, and it was a good one. With the wind knocked out of her she stood up slowly, trying in vain to hear anything but the pounding music in her ears that blocked out all other sounds. She couldn't even hear where the trees were to take cover.

Focus, focus... There had to be a way to overcome this. What did she always do when there was a crowd, or a lot of noise? Well, for one thing, the crowd hadn't all been screaming in her ears. She could still manage to tell where things were from their sound and vibrations of their voices off of things... But with the music right in her ear, there were no vibrations but her eardrums pulsing with the beat of the song, threatening to burst out of her head.

She had to count on Kabuto to make a lot of noise, create some outside vibrations. He must not have been in his prime, for Tenoki was starting to sense a lot of noise coming from him, running through the trees and to her feet. She could faintly sense her surroundings. Was Kabuto being to noisy on puropose? Mitsunari had said he would mimic her target...

A few more direct hits, closed fists at a close range, and Tenoki had started to pick out his pattern. Kabuto was definitely not fighting like he normally did. He was being too loud, too flamboyant and straightforward. Maybe he learned about the boy's techniques and style of fighting, for he was fighting like anyone but himself. A little bit longer, and she could hear past the music slightly, but still not enough to win. By the time she could figure this out, he might already have gotten serious and stopped going easy on her. Maybe soon he'd bring out the kunai, then she would be screwed.

She stood on shaky legs. In an instant Kabuto had knocked her back down. But someone was with him. A couple people, each of them beating her down to the ground. She managed to fight off a few of the attacks, but they were only getting worse. She was being thrown around and pummeled by so many fists the wind was knocked completely out of her.

She pushed herself back up, trying to catch her breath. Someone took the mike out of one her ears. "You'll have to do better than this. Come on, Tenoki, I know you are stronger than that." Mitsunari whispered in her ear. "Stop trying to listen so hard. Focus on your enemy's movements if you can't hear everything. Feel him moving, the vibrations..." He put the earpiece back. Tenoki stayed on her hands and knees, palms pressed against the ground. She felt Mitsunari jump back into the trees. The music was still blaring in her ears, but that didn't stop the pulsing the ground made under her feet when something moved.

Forcing herself to stay calm, her fingers clenched and unclenched in the dirt, and began to count. "Ichi... ni... san... shi..." She counted slowly. Her fingers slowly formed into sharp claws, bones cracking loudly and re-forming. "go... roku... nana... hachi..." A line of small spikes poked along her spine, not completely piercing through the skin. She lifted her head and smelled the air. The breeze caught the scent of Kabuto and carried it to her. She could feel his heart pounding as easily as if he were stomping on the ground; wondering what the hell she was doing. She could almost taste a tinge of fear from him, apprehension as his body tensed.

In a second she lunged for him, using her arms and legs like a dog to give her speed and momentum to follow through. She had him under her. She knew it wasn't him. She slashed at his throat and he was lost in a puff of white smoke. Her nose told her that wasn't the real Kabuto. It was just a matter of finding him now.

A few more tries, she sliced open more decoys. Finally she caught scent of him, the real one, in the air. His uneasiness at her current form only amplified his scent, and she was on top of him before he could stop her, claws raised and snarling, showing sharp canines.

Before she could dig her claws into him something tackled her hard, and she had the wind knocked out of her once more from someone's broad shoulder jammed into her stomach. As she caught her breath faster than usual, Mitsunari took those precious seconds to rip the headphones out of her ears, get behind her and pin her arms to her chest in a way where her claws couldn't touch anything, his arms wrapped around her. He fought to keep her still. The spikes in her back were hard and sharp, and he tried to calm her down so they wouldn't bust through the skin and pierce his chest. He was talking but Tenoki had no idea what he was saying. This close to the full moon her powers were raging, like a woman's hormones right before her period.

"Tenoki! Control yourself!" He yelled, and his deep voice sent a rigid chill up her spine. The voice she recognized and obeyed yelling so fierce made her freeze. She struggled still, with nowhere to release her beast. Mitsunari held her with his strong arms. She knew from experience he wouldn't let her go until he was sure she wouldn't hurt anyone, or herself. He would hold on to her until she was calm, even if it meant getting ripped up by her needles in the process.

Tenoki's fear of seeing him hurt repressed her urges to sink her teeth into someone's flesh. She took deep breaths like he told her to, like good little doggie obeying it's master. He held her perfectly still until her hands were back to normal, no more claws. He relaxed a little as soon as she had retracted the spikes from her spine, the threat of them exploding outward and stabbing him gone. A few minutes just to be sure, and he let go of her.

Kabuto was standing above them, a strange but amused look on his face. "Well, that was unexpected. I didn't know we were going for blood or I would have been a little more serious," He joked.

"We weren't, Kabuto." Mitsunari scolded, and turned back to Tenoki. "Maybe that mission was a little hard. I don't know what I expected from you so close to the full moon. I didn't think you'd go crazy on Kabuto..."

"I'm sorry..." Tenoki muttered.

"In the future, Kabuto, if she does this again either get out of her way, or run." Mitsunari grinned a little, the tension gone. Kabuto nodded, secretly scolding himself for not taking this one hundred percent seriously. He should have recognized what she was doing, he had heard enough about it from Mitsunari. He would never make that mistake again. "Well, I think we're ready for the mission now." he smiled at Tenoki, knowing she could feel it. She didn't have to see his face. "On the full moon, I promise, you can go as crazy as you want. Just get the right one. Orochimaru-sama won't be pleased if you don't..." Tenoki knew he was serious when he mentioned this name. The only person Mitsunari obeyed was him. Tenoki had never even met him, but she held him in the highest regards. He was, after all, the Sound Village's leader.

Tomorrow night, her mission... The full moon. She must be successful for their Village, for Mitsunari... Something deep inside her was ready to come out and play, a hunger so deep she had almost lost it today. She must save it all for tomorrow night...


	20. Echo

Sand and Blood

Chapter Twenty

Echo

_A ninja lives but for their missions... _

Mitsunari entered the room to wake her. Tenoki had been asleep all day, but when he came near her power tried to creep out to greet him. She sat up as he entered, and leaned down on the bed next to her. It went without saying that he came in to tell her that it was time.

Tenoki got up and dressed, not caring that Mitsunari was there. She hadn't moved an inch since he left, and would have stayed that way for an eternity until he came for her. She dressed in all black, leaving her long scarf in the care of Mitsunari. She wore no mask, nothing to cover her face and interfere. Nothing loose, either, like her scarf. Although she was used to it, Mitsunari told her that it would be a disadvantage with such an imperative mission. So, skin-tight and black it was.

It was pitch-black outside, as dark as her clothes. The only thing that stuck out was her uncovered face and glowing silver eyes. The closer to the full moon, the more luminescent they got. It was as if the beast inside her knew it was time to come out, and was looking out through her eyes to see the glow of the moon.

"Your target is confirmed to be in the woods. At the risk of sounding like a cartoon evil genius, everything's going according to the plan," Mitsunari tried to lighten the mood, speaking as she finished getting her weapons on. If she was lucky, she wouldn't need them. Semper paratus.

"I'll be in touch," Mitsunari gave her a small earpiece like the one for yesterday. This one wouldn't blast music, however, it was for him to tell her when she found the right one. "I can't get involved, so try to get the job done fast and not make a mess." He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug before she left through the window. Tenoki could sense every Sound Ninja in the building watching her disappear into the forest, listening as they had been trained to do.

She leapt as silently as she could from tree branch to tree branch, barely making a breeze that rustled the leaves slightly. Speeding through the woods she didn't slow down until she sensed movement a ways ahead. She gave up a little speed for more stealth, waiting to hear from Mitsunari. She came to a stop as close as she dared to get without giving away her position. There was someone below her on the ground.

"Target identified. Kyuubi is alone. Go now, Tenoki." Mitsunari's voice crackled a tiny bit through the mike.

"Permission to confront as...?"

"Human first, if he sees you just try to get close enough to take him out in wolf, granted." With that Tenoki fell from the trees and landed softly on the ground. The boy's back was to hers, he was walking the opposite direction, muttering something to himself. Tenoki walked silently behind him, closing the distance between them. The boy stopped and turned around. The anger in his eyes was replaced by shock, then an uncertain smile as he recognized her.

He walked toward her, his smile now wider. "Hey! I remember you!" He yelled across the clearing. Tenoki tried not to wince as his voice surprised her. He was certainly bold or just plain stupid, there was no need to yell in the quiet darkness of night. "You saved my life in Death Forest!" He stopped a few feet away from her. "Good to have someone nice to talk to for a change, my teammates are really pissy today, and Kakashi-sensei made me train way too hard... Sasuke is mad at your friend for almost killing him. I guess I would be, too." The boy's smile never vanished as he spoke to Tenoki's apathy. He might have just been talking to a tree. "Oh yeah, my name's Uzumaki Naruto! Who are you?" He asked, dancing on the boarder of curiosity and rudeness.

"Hari... Tenoki." She said hesitantly, unsure if she was even supposed to be talking to him. Her hand was behind her back, playing with a kunai. She had to end this soon. If she could get him wounded she could transform and catch him with ease. The scent of his blood would never let him hide.

"You have weird eyes, Tenoki. Hey! Are you even looking at me?"

It happened in a blink of an eye. Tenoki lifted her hand above her head, ready to stab downward. A blur came out of nowhere and tackled her as Mitsunari had yesterday, knocking the wind out of her. She managed to throw the kunai anyways, she heard it stab into him. She was unsure of where she had hit him; her only concern was the interference who had attacked her. She didn't even hear him coming. She knew it was a he because he was sitting on top her hips, straddling her, holding her down with his legs. His arms were free to stab her if he felt like it.

"Naruto! Stay back!" A deep voice said. He sounded almost bored, like someone who had just woken up. Tenoki could always change with him on top of her, that didn't matter. As soon as he felt the spikes he would jump off her on instinct.

Testing her theory, she released the power she had been holding back. She felt her bones as they broke and reformed, letting the needles out. As she assumed, the man jumped off her immediately. She pushed onto her hands and feet, crouched down as bloody needles burst out of her back.

The man wasted no time. He tried throwing kunai, for there was no way she could have dodged them. She didn't have to, the hard needles stopped them in midair before they could reach her skin. She shook like a wet dog, and the kunai were sent flying. She was fully transformed, nothing could have stopped that from happening. Her dark blue needles covered her body, pointed outward, back arched like a defensive cat. No blade could penetrate her defense of needles.

She lunged past the man, to her target fast, letting her leg muscles push her off the ground. She was above him, letting the momentum of her leap carry her down onto the boy. His bloody shoulder was intoxicating, the smell of the warm fluid making Tenoki want to rip him wide open. Before she could secure a hold on him with her claws, the man threw himself into her again. The long dark needles went straight into him as they crashed onto the forest floor. Tenoki rolled so she was standing on top of him. The shock of the needles froze him for a split second, but that was enough.

She roared, unable to make coherent words anymore, and barred sharp fangs at him. The man was splattered with his own blood. Another barrage of kunai made Tenoki turn to face the boy. Even with his torn shoulder he still managed to send three of them flying at her. Useless. They fell to the ground near the man.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled, running to them. As Tenoki looked back at the man under her she saw his hand going for the blade the boy had sent. The intentions became obvious. He grabbed the handle and dug the blade into her front leg right below the elbow. His hands were pierced in the process, but he managed to drive the blade in far enough to draw blood.

Tenoki reared back and Kakashi jumped to his feet. Trickles of blood ran down her forearm and soaked into the earth. She had to do this faster, before they found a way to ruin everything. She ran for Naruto again, but like all the other times the man named Kakashi managed to stop her. She tried not to attack him with her claws or teeth, but she had no wolf-friendly weapons at her disposal. She would have to kill him.

Tenoki used her speed to her advantage. It was so dark in the woods that it was hard to see your hand held in front of your face, let alone the trees everywhere. Tenoki was used to living in a dark world, and she used that to her advantage. Neither of them had the hearing of a Sound Ninja. They were lost, if she stayed just out of reach instead of attacking so straightforwardly she would have an incredible advantage.

She fought her wolf, who just wanted to kill them both by running at them, no tactics or strategy. Just a frontal attack of brute force. No, that wasn't good enough. It was a full moon, but her power wasn't unlimited. Just amplified.

Nothing but a blur, as unseeable as a cool breeze, Tenoki ran in a semi-circle around them, trying to get behind them. Naruto was completely useless against her, but this man... If they had fought a fair fight, no mission, he just might come out on top. The closer to the full moon, however, the lesser his chances. Protecting a helpless boy, his chances weren't that great.

Tenoki saw a perfect chance. She had sped around to the back of Naruto, Kakashi was still in front of him. He could never move fast enough to stop her. She lunged, jaws gaping wide. Her long fangs went right for his back, as if reeled into him by an unseen wire.

Out of nowhere Kakashi appeared, arms thrown in front of him to block her attack. He moved so fast, Tenoki didn't even have time to stop her jaws from clamping shut. The boy was shoved out of the way by his sensei, and Tenoki's teeth sunk into the man's shoulder. Once the blood had spilled into her mouth, she couldn't stop herself. The beast took the wheel, ripping deep into Kakashi's shoulder. He flexed in pain, letting the beast take him to the ground. The fangs had hit their mark; pinning him in such a vital spot he couldn't even move to get her off of him. She ripped at his flesh as if to eat it, the blood driving her mad.

"Hey!" Naruto's eyes swelled with tears held back as he threw kunai at Tenoki. They did nothing, and for a while she hadn't even noticed. The boy kept yelling and screaming, running towards them.

Tenoki howled. It was long and horribly loud, bone-chilling and blood-curdling. The boy stopped in his tracks, the eerie sound sent through the night sky sending chills up his spine. It was a battle cry, one used to call other Hari clan members on the night of the full moon. Tenoki howled every time the moon was round, but no one ever came.

The boy ran to her. Tenoki dismounted off her first prey, stalking up to the next. Her silver eyes glowed from the moon as she readied herself to strike again.

"...Nar..uto... no!" Kakashi threw his limp body onto Tenoki's, her spikes piercing into him. It was enough shock and surprise to stop Tenoki for a second. His arm was raised above his head, and Tenoki didn't notice it until the blade was on it's way to her face. He jammed the kunai down, the blade hit something hard, but he kept pressing it, deeper.

Tenoki screamed, the sound a mix of pure human terror and a wolf's howl, echoing through the cloudless night air.

Her wolf ears heard voices through her own howls. She had alerted people of Konoha of their positions. Within seconds she could hear them racing towards her, countless ANBU speeding through the trees.

Tenoki forced Kakashi off her, the kunai falling to the ground into a puddle of her own blood that had dripped down her face. She bolted, knowing that her wolf could outrun anything. She was safe. At least from the ANBU. What awaited her when she returned, however...

She had failed. Too ashamed for words she glided through the trees until she was certain that no one was following her. In a moonlit clearing she howled, long, loud, an eerie song that danced with the fluttering leaves as they drifted to the ground. Her entire head and face was covered in blood, half from Kakashi's shoulder and half from a healing gash down the right side of her face.

How could she let this happen? How did she end up failing so miserably? Her howling song spread her sorrow through the forest and beyond. For an instant, she thought she heard a distant howl, a cry of sympathy, of loss, of regret and loneliness... Another Hari? Impossible... Perhaps it was just her own echo...


End file.
